You run, you die? DR Congo sentences 66 soldiers to death for fleeing battlefield as war rages

• 66 Congolese soldiers were sentenced to death for cowardice, mutiny and refusing to obey orders after allegedly fleeing during battles with rebels.

• The soldiers were tried in Walikale, North Kivu, with four acquitted and one sentenced to 10 years in prison.

• DR Congo restored the death penalty in 2024, saying it was needed to deal with military "traitors" and armed groups.

• Human rights organisations criticised the move, while the army says stricter discipline is necessary as fighting against the FRN and M23 rebels continues.

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) has sentenced 66 soldiers to death after they were found guilty of cowardice, mutiny and refusing to obey military orders during fighting against rebel groups in the country's troubled eastern region.

The judgment was delivered by a military court sitting in Walikale, North Kivu Province, where 71 soldiers were put on trial over allegations that they abandoned their positions during clashes with the Front for the Refoundation of the Nation (FRN), a rebel coalition that includes the notorious M23 group.

According to local reports, the soldiers were arrested on October 20 after they allegedly fled the battlefield instead of confronting advancing rebel fighters.

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Out of the 71 soldiers tried, 66 received death sentences. Four were acquitted after the court found insufficient evidence against them, while one soldier was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Military authorities said the trial was aimed at restoring discipline within the armed forces as government troops continue battling multiple armed groups in eastern DR Congo, a region that has remained one of Africa's deadliest conflict zones for decades.

For years, the Congolese army has struggled with poor organisation, weak command structures and low morale. Soldiers have repeatedly complained about poor salaries, delayed allowances and inadequate weapons, while critics say these problems have weakened the military's ability to confront well-armed rebel groups.

The conflict has also sparked diplomatic tensions in the region. The Congolese government continues to accuse neighbouring Rwanda of backing the M23 rebels, an allegation both Kigali and the rebel group have consistently denied despite mounting international evidence linking Rwanda to the insurgents.

This is not the first time soldiers have faced such punishment.

Just last month, another 27 Congolese soldiers were sentenced to death on similar charges after they allegedly abandoned frontline positions during attacks by rebel forces.

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The convictions come after DR Congo lifted its 20-year moratorium on the death penalty in March 2024. At the time, the government said the move was necessary to eliminate "traitors" within the military.

Authorities also announced that capital punishment would apply to people involved in armed groups, insurrection, as well as those found guilty of treason and war crimes.

The decision drew widespread criticism from international human rights organisations, which argued that restoring executions would not solve the country's security crisis. Despite the reinstatement of capital punishment, no executions have officially been carried out since the moratorium was lifted.

Figures compiled by French broadcaster RFI show that since the beginning of 2025, at least 507 Congolese soldiers have been convicted by military courts, with 381 of them receiving death sentences.

The conflict has also reached the country's political elite. In October 2025, former President Joseph Kabila was sentenced to death in absentia on charges including war crimes and treason. Kabila denied the allegations and did not appear before the court. He has since been named by Congolese authorities as the leader of the FRN rebel coalition.

As fighting continues in eastern DR Congo, military leaders say tougher disciplinary measures are necessary to keep soldiers on the frontlines, but rights groups insist deeper reforms, better welfare and stronger leadership are needed to fix the army's long-standing problems.