A military tribunal in Congo has sentenced 13 soldiers to death on charges of murder, looting, and cowardice. Military authorities described the move as part of efforts to bolster army discipline following territorial losses caused by soldiers abandoning their positions.
The sentences were handed down on Tuesday in the town of Lubero, located in the eastern North Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of Congo. This region has been plagued by nearly three years of conflict with the Rwanda-backed M23 insurgency, along with other militia violence.
Local army spokesperson Mak Hazukay noted that recent fighting in the Lubero territory has been exacerbated by cases of soldiers fleeing their posts, which has enabled enemy forces to make significant advances.
“Some of the soldiers who are supposed to be fighting the enemy at the front have shown a kind of indiscipline,” he said. “We had to organise this educational trial to set things right.”
A total of 24 soldiers stood trial before the Congolese military tribunal. In addition to the 13 who were sentenced to death, four received prison terms ranging from 2 to 10 years, six were acquitted, and one case was deferred for further investigation.
The hearings were intended “to help restore trust between the military and the population,” military prosecutor Kabala Kabundi told Reuters.
“All those convicted pleaded not guilty and have five days to appeal their sentence”, Kabundi said. A lawyer representing one of the defendants announced plans to file an appeal against the verdict.
