Congo’s Crackdown On Military Indiscipline Leaves 66 Soldiers Facing Execution
By FRANKLIN FRANCIS FREY
AUTHORITIES in the Democratic Republic of Congo have sentenced 66 soldiers to death after a military court found them guilty of cowardice, mutiny and failure to obey orders.
The Goma Garrison Military Court announced the sentences last Friday following proceedings involving 71 soldiers in Walikale, North Kivu province.
The cases arose from separate incidents during military operations against rebel groups in eastern Congo. Investigators accused the soldiers of abandoning their posts or fleeing confrontations with fighters from the Front for the Refoundation of the Nation (FRN).
Prosecutors had requested capital punishment for 70 defendants. Nevertheless, the court acquitted four soldiers and handed a 10-year prison sentence to an intelligence officer.
The trial comes as Congolese forces continue to confront armed groups across the country’s mineral-rich eastern provinces. For decades, the region has experienced persistent violence involving factions such as M23 and other rebel movements operating near the borders with Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi.
According to the army, the proceedings were intended to restore discipline among troops and strengthen military operations in North and South Kivu. Dieudonne Kasereka, the army’s communications chief in eastern Congo, defended the prosecution as necessary to enforce military discipline.
The government reintroduced the death penalty in March 2024 to address what it described as treason within the armed forces. Since then, military courts have continued to impose capital punishment on soldiers accused of misconduct. In October, another 27 troops reportedly received death sentences for cowardice.
Radio France Internationale put the number of Congolese soldiers sentenced to death since 2025 at 381.
However, human rights groups have challenged the use of capital punishment, particularly amid concerns about the fairness of military proceedings. Amnesty International has described the country’s justice system as seriously flawed, warning that trials often fail to meet fair-trial standards.
Tigere Chagutah, the organisation’s regional director for East and Southern Africa, said everyone had a right to life, regardless of whether they belonged to the armed forces, police or armed groups.
He also warned that the sentences could endanger hundreds of people, including defendants who may have faced unfair trials or politically motivated charges.
As Congo intensifies its campaign against armed groups, the latest verdict has therefore sharpened the debate over whether military discipline can be enforced without compromising the right to a fair trial and the protection of human life.
