A military court in the Democratic Republic of Congo has sentenced 66 soldiers to death after convicting them on three counts, including cowardice, local media reported Sunday.
The trial at Goma Garrison Military Court in North Kivu province involved more than 70 soldiers, four of whom were acquitted, while one was sentenced to 10 years in jail, according to the UN’s Radio Okapi.
The verdict was pronounced after finding the defendants guilty on charges of “munity, disobeying orders, and cowardice” in the face of the enemy, the report said.
The convicts, who belong to the 3415th regiment of the Congolese army, were reportedly arrested on Oct. 20 in Walikale territory, where they allegedly committed the offenses.
The army said the trial was in part aimed at strengthening discipline within the armed forces in the face of a security crisis in eastern Congo.
In October, a military court in Congo sentenced 27 Congolese soldiers to death for “cowardice” when they withdrew from the frontline in fighting against AFC/M23 rebels.
The trial took place amid continued clashes in eastern Congo between Refoundation of the Nation (FRN), a rebel coalition that includes the M23, and government forces, according to local sources.
