A military court in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) sentenced 25 soldiers to death on Wednesday for abandoning their posts during clashes with M23 rebels.
The one-day trial in Butembo, North Kivu province, saw a total of 31 defendants appear before the court. These included 27 soldiers and four civilians, wives of the soldiers.
The charges against them ranged from “fleeing the enemy” and disobeying orders to theft.
“The court found 25 soldiers guilty, including two captains,” said Jules Muvweko, one of the defence lawyers.
“We intend to appeal the verdict,” he added.
The remaining defendants, including the four women, were acquitted due to lack of evidence.
The sentences come amidst renewed fighting in the eastern DRC.
Since late June, the M23 rebel group has captured several towns in North Kivu, including the strategic town of Kanyabayonga.
The group has been active for several years, displacing hundreds of thousands and encircling Goma, the provincial capital.
The DRC government accuses neighboring Rwanda of backing the M23, a claim Rwanda denies.
The mineral-rich eastern DRC has been plagued by violence for decades, with armed groups active in the region since the 1990s.
Last March, the Congolese government lifted a moratorium on the death penalty, particularly targeting soldiers accused of treason and desertion.
This sentence follows a similar verdict in Goma earlier this year, where eight soldiers were sentenced to death for fleeing the enemy.
