What changed
A military court in Walikale, North Kivu, sentenced 66 Congolese soldiers to death for alleged cowardice, mutiny and disobeying orders. The trial involved 71 soldiers: four were acquitted and one received a 10-year prison sentence. The soldiers were reportedly arrested on 20 October after abandoning their positions during clashes with the Front for the Refoundation of the Nation, a rebel coalition that includes M23.
Why it matters
The army says the trial is meant to restore discipline while government forces fight armed groups in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. But the punishment also exposes the strain inside a force already criticised for poor organisation, inadequate equipment and low pay.
This is not an isolated case. Last month, 27 soldiers received death sentences on similar charges. Since the start of 2025, at least 507 soldiers have been convicted, including 381 sentenced to death.
The death penalty returned in March 2024 after a 20-year moratorium. No formal executions have taken place since then, and it remains unclear whether these sentences will be carried out or appealed. That gap matters: the court is sending its harshest possible message, while the army still has to persuade soldiers to hold positions in a war where its own ranks have repeatedly struggled to do so.
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