25 soldiers sentenced to death in DRC for 'fleeing the enemy', lawyer says

Published on: 04/07/2024 – 02:44

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A total of 31 accused, including 27 soldiers and four of their civilian wives, appeared before the military court of the Butembo garrison in North Kivu province, near the front line.

They were charged with several counts, including “fleeing from the enemy”, dispersing war munitions, violating orders and theft, Jules Muvweko, one of the defence lawyers, told AFP.

At the end of the hearing, “25 soldiers, including two captains, were sentenced to death,” Mr. Muvweko said, adding that the defense intended to appeal.

The other defendants, including the four women, were acquitted due to lack of evidence, he said.

Since the end of last week, the M23 (March 23 Movement) has taken several towns on the northern front of the conflict.

Among their gains is the strategic town of Kanyabayonga, considered a gateway to the main commercial centres of Butembo and Beni.

The M23 has also seized large swathes of territory in recent years, almost entirely encircling Goma, the provincial capital of North Kivu, killing dozens of people and displacing hundreds of thousands more.

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, there are already 2.8 million displaced people in North Kivu.

Kinshasa accuses Rwanda of supporting the Tutsi-led M23 rebel group, which Kigali denies.

Mineral-rich eastern DRC has been plagued by conflict between local and foreign armed groups for 30 years, dating back to regional wars in the 1990s.

Last March, the Congolese government lifted the moratorium on the death penalty in force in the country since 2003.

The measure was particularly aimed at military personnel accused of treason, at a time when the east of the country is in the grip of an armed rebellion.

In early May, eight Congolese soldiers, including five officers, were sentenced to death in Goma for “cowardice” and “fleeing before the enemy”.

(AFP)