Seven soldiers were sentenced to death by a court in the Democratic Republic of Congo for cowardice in the face of the enemy and murder. They were discovered fleeing advancing M23 rebels, escaping via Sake, where they killed two people by irresponsibly discharging their weapons. Their lawyers expect to appeal.
Three soldiers were previously convicted of cowardice and sentenced to death in November. Death sentences in the Democratic Republic of Congo are commuted to life imprisonment.
Fighting has risen in the mineral-rich North Kivu province, driving tens of thousands from their homes, despite Pope Francis’ heartfelt appeal to halt hostilities when he visited the nation.
Since its independence in the 1960s, the Democratic Republic of Congo has been plagued by warfare. Some have been motivated by a desire to control its mineral wealth, while others have been motivated by ethnic conflict.
The UN and the East African regional army have sparked popular outrage for failing to prevent M23 rebels from taking significant swaths of land in North Kivu.
The Democratic Republic of Congo, the United States, and UN experts accuse Rwanda of supporting the rebels, which Rwanda denies.
For many years, Rwanda has chastised Congolese authorities for failing to disarm Hutu rebels, some of whom were involved in the 1994 Rwandan genocide.