The verdict was delivered on Friday, November 6, by the Goma Garrison Military Court, sitting in Walikale. The trial involved 71 soldiers belonging to the Congolese army's 3415th Regiment. Four were acquitted, while another received a 10-year prison sentence.
According to a statement from the army's 34th Military Region, the soldiers were arrested on October 20, 2026, following allegations that they abandoned their positions and fled during clashes with fighters belonging to the Front for the Refoundation of the Nation (FRN), a rebel coalition that includes the M23 movement.
Military authorities said the proceedings were intended to strengthen discipline within the armed forces as government troops continue operations against armed groups in the country's conflict-hit eastern region.
The sentences come amid continuing security challenges for the Congolese military, which has struggled to contain armed groups operating across North and South Kivu. Its operations have been complicated by longstanding concerns over military organisation, inadequate equipment, poor pay and discipline among troops.
The latest verdicts also follow the sentencing of another 27 Congolese soldiers to death last month over similar allegations of abandoning frontline positions during clashes with rebel fighters.
DR Congo reinstated the death penalty in March 2024, ending a moratorium that had been in place for approximately two decades. The government defended the decision as a measure to address serious offences, including treason and wrongdoing within the armed forces.
Human rights organisations have criticised the reinstatement, raising concerns about the risk of unfair trials and the use of capital punishment. No formal executions have been reported since the moratorium was lifted.
Figures compiled by French broadcaster Radio France Internationale indicate that at least 381 Congolese soldiers have received death sentences since the beginning of 2025, reflecting the increasing use of capital punishment in military proceedings.
