Twenty-five soldiers accused of “fleeing the enemy” while fighting M23 rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo were sentenced to death on Wednesday during a one-day trial, according to their lawyers.
A total of 31 defendants, including 27 soldiers and four civilian wives, appeared before the Butembo garrison military court in North Kivu province, near the front line. The charges included “fleeing the enemy,” dissipating munitions of war, violating orders, and theft, stated Jules Muvweko, one of the defense lawyers, to AFP.
At the conclusion of the hearing, “25 soldiers, including two captains, were sentenced to death,” Muvweko said, adding that the defense intended to appeal. The other accused, including the four women, were acquitted due to lack of evidence, he said.
Since last week, the M23 (March 23 Movement) rebels have taken several towns on the northern front of the conflict. Their gains include the strategic town of Kanyabayonga, which is seen as a gateway to the major commercial centers of Butembo and Beni. The M23 has also seized vast territories over the past several years, nearly encircling Goma, the provincial capital of North Kivu, killing scores and displacing hundreds of thousands.
North Kivu already has 2.8 million displaced people, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Kinshasa accuses Rwanda of backing the Tutsi-led M23 rebel group, which Kigali denies.
DR Congo’s mineral-rich east has been plagued for 30 years by fighting between local and foreign-based armed groups, dating back to the regional wars of the 1990s.
In March, the Congolese government lifted the moratorium on the death penalty, which had been in force since 2003. This measure specifically targeted soldiers accused of treason during the ongoing armed rebellion in the east of the country.
In early May, eight Congolese soldiers, including five officers, were sentenced to death in Goma for “cowardice” and “fleeing the enemy.”
