DR Congo Sentences 66 Soldiers to Death for Cowardice and Mutiny in Eastern Conflict Trial

A military court in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has sentenced 66 soldiers to death for cowardice, mutiny and refusing to obey orders, the Congolese army said, in one of the largest mass death sentences handed down in the country’s conflict-hit east. Four soldiers were acquitted and one was given a 10-year prison sentence after a trial of 71 troops in Walikale, North Kivu province.

Direct answer: The Goma Garrison Military Court, sitting in Walikale, North Kivu province, sentenced 66 soldiers to death late on Friday, November 6, 2026, for cowardice, mutiny and disobeying orders. The 71 soldiers on trial, all from the army’s 3415th Regiment, were accused of abandoning their positions and fleeing during clashes with fighters of the Front for the Refoundation of the Nation (FRN), a rebel coalition that includes the M23 group. Four soldiers were acquitted, including a captain who served as head of intelligence for the regiment, and one sergeant was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

What the Court Decided

The verdict was delivered late on Friday, November 6, by the Goma Garrison Military Court in the town of Walikale, according to a statement from the army’s 34th Military Region carried by the state news agency ACP. The court tried 71 soldiers in total. Sixty-six received death sentences, four were acquitted, and a sergeant was sentenced to 10 years in prison after the court considered mitigating circumstances. The trial was expected to last 10 days but ran two days longer before the court delivered its judgment. For the latest on the conflict in eastern Congo, see the latest Africa conflict updates here.

The soldiers were arrested on October 20 in the village of Ngora, in Walikale territory, over offenses committed in nearby Ntonto. They were accused of abandoning their military positions and fleeing during clashes with fighters of the Front for the Refoundation of the Nation, a rebel coalition that includes the M23 group. The Congolese army said the trial was intended to strengthen discipline within its ranks as government forces continue military operations against armed groups in the east of the country.

A Wider Crackdown on Desertion

The Walikale sentences are part of a much wider crackdown. Since the start of 2025, at least 507 soldiers have been convicted in the Democratic Republic of Congo, including 381 death sentences, according to figures compiled by the French broadcaster RFI. The scale reflects how seriously Kinshasa takes desertion and indiscipline as its army struggles against rebel advances in the east, where the M23 group and its allies have seized large areas of North Kivu.

The Democratic Republic of Congo lifted a 20-year moratorium on the death penalty in March 2024, with the government saying the decision was necessary to remove “traitors” from the army. The moratorium had been in place for more than two decades before the government reinstated capital punishment for military offenses including treason, cowardice and mutiny.

Why This Matters Now

The mass death sentences underline the strain on the Congolese army as it fights a grinding war in the east, where rebel coalitions have repeatedly overrun army positions and displaced hundreds of thousands of civilians. By making an example of the 3415th Regiment, the military leadership is signaling that fleeing the battlefield will be punished with the harshest sentence available — a message aimed as much at other units as at the men in the dock.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What did the DR Congo court decide?

The Goma Garrison Military Court, sitting in Walikale, North Kivu province, sentenced 66 soldiers to death late on Friday, November 6, 2026, for cowardice, mutiny and refusing to obey orders. Four soldiers were acquitted and one sergeant was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

What were the soldiers accused of?

The 71 soldiers, all from the army’s 3415th Regiment, were arrested on October 20, 2026, in Ngora village, Walikale territory, and accused of abandoning their positions and fleeing during clashes with fighters of the Front for the Refoundation of the Nation (FRN) near Ntonto.

Who are the FRN and M23?

The Front for the Refoundation of the Nation (FRN) is a rebel coalition operating in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo that includes the M23 group, which has seized large areas of North Kivu province in fighting against the Congolese army.

Why did DR Congo bring back the death penalty?

The government lifted a 20-year moratorium on the death penalty in March 2024, saying it needed to remove “traitors” from the army. The army said the Walikale trial was intended to strengthen discipline among troops fighting armed groups in the east.

How many soldiers have been sentenced since 2025?

Since the start of 2025, at least 507 soldiers have been convicted in the Democratic Republic of Congo, including 381 death sentences, according to figures compiled by the French broadcaster RFI.

Will the death sentences be carried out?

The reports of the verdict did not say when, or whether, the sentences would be carried out, and no execution date was announced. The Democratic Republic of Congo had a moratorium on executions for more than 20 years before lifting it in March 2024.

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