Reports from local media indicate that a military tribunal in the Democratic Republic of Congo has handed down death sentences to 66 members of the armed forces for offenses including cowardice, mutiny, and insubordination.
This legal proceeding involved 71 military personnel appearing before a court in Walikale, located in the North Kivu province of the country's eastern region, resulting in four acquittals and one ten-year prison term.
According to military officials, the purpose of the trial was to strengthen troop discipline amid ongoing military engagements against insurgent factions in eastern DR Congo.
This territory has suffered through decades of warfare, with ongoing hostilities persisting between state troops and the Front for the Refoundation of the Nation, which incorporates the M23 faction within its coalition.
Reports indicate that the convicted troops were detained on 20 October in Walikale after allegedly abandoning their defensive lines and retreating during engagements with Front for the Refoundation of the Nation insurgents.
The military campaign conducted by the Congolese state against rebel organizations, such as M23, has historically suffered from structural disorganization and lax discipline within military ranks.
State authorities have repeatedly asserted that neighboring Rwanda provides backing to the M23 movement, a claim that Kigali and the insurgent leadership continue to reject despite substantial proof.
The armed forces have encountered continuous scrutiny regarding professionalism and discipline, whereas military personnel have voiced grievances concerning substandard compensation and insufficient provisions.
During the previous month, an additional 27 military personnel received capital punishment for comparable accusations of cowardice following reports of abandoning the combat zone during engagements with insurgents.
During March 2024, DR Congo terminated a two-decade suspension on capital punishment, justifying the measure as essential for eliminating disloyal elements from within military ranks.
State authorities indicated that capital punishment would extend to individuals associated with armed factions, rebellions, treasonous activities, and war crimes.
Human rights organizations strongly condemned the decision to restore capital punishment, although authorities have not carried out any official executions since the suspension ended.
Data compiled by French broadcaster RFI indicates that from the commencement of 2025, a minimum of 507 military personnel have faced conviction, encompassing 381 capital sentences.
During October 2025, former Congolese President Joseph Kabila received a capital sentence in absentia for offenses comprising war crimes and treason, though he rejected the allegations and failed to attend the proceedings for his defense, having subsequently been identified as the leader of the Front for the Refoundation of the Nation.