DR Congo Military Court Sentences 66 Soldiers to Death Over Cowardice, Mutiny

A military court in the Democratic Republic of Congo has sentenced 66 soldiers to death for offences including cowardice, mutiny and disobedience following a 12-day trial in the country’s eastern North Kivu Province.

The judgment was delivered on Friday, November 6, by the Goma Garrison Military Court sitting in Walikale, according to information published by the Congolese Press Agency and Radio Okapi.

The soldiers, who belonged to the 3415th Regiment of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC), were among 71 military personnel prosecuted over incidents involving alleged military misconduct.

Four defendants were acquitted, while another soldier received a 10-year prison sentence.

According to a statement from the 34th Military Region, the soldiers were arrested on October 20, 2026, in Ngora village following incidents reported in Ntoto, within the Wanianga sector of Walikale territory.

The charges included military mutiny, refusal to obey orders, cowardice in the face of the enemy and the dissipation of military ammunition.

Major Dieudonné Kasereka, communications officer of the 34th Military Region, said the trial formed part of efforts to strengthen discipline within the armed forces amid continuing security challenges in eastern DR Congo.

The prosecution had reportedly requested death sentences for 70 of the 71 defendants, alongside a 10-year prison term for a military intelligence officer.

However, the court acquitted four soldiers, including the captain responsible for intelligence within the regiment.

The judgment comes amid prolonged fighting in eastern DR Congo involving government forces and several armed groups, including the March 23 Movement (M23) and the wider rebel coalition known as the Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC), also referred to as the Front for the Refoundation of the Nation (FRN).

The Congolese government has repeatedly accused neighbouring Rwanda of supporting M23, an allegation Kigali has denied.

DR Congo lifted a moratorium on executions in March 2024, ending a suspension that had lasted approximately two decades. The government said the decision was necessary to address serious security threats, particularly alleged treason and infiltration within the military.

The move attracted criticism from human rights organisations, including Amnesty International, which warned against the growing use of death sentences by Congolese military courts.

The latest judgment adds to a series of capital punishment verdicts involving members of the Congolese armed forces accused of abandoning their positions or failing to obey military orders.

However, the November 6 judgment represents a sentencing decision, not confirmation that the condemned soldiers have been executed.