66 DRC soldiers sentenced to death for cowardice in battles with rebels

A military tribunal in Goma has handed down death sentences to 66 servicemen of the DRC army for cowardice and disobeying orders during fighting with rebels of the FRN coalition. The court acquitted four of the 71 detained, while prosecutors had sought execution for 70 people. The conflict continues against the backdrop of earlier US peace initiatives and accusations of Rwanda's involvement, with former president Joseph Kabila named as the rebels' leader.

Otabek YusupovFirst published on tafs uz 10 November 2026 at 14:552 min read

The key facts

A military court in Goma sentenced 66 DRC soldiers to death for cowardice and desertion.
The sentences were handed down during the conflict with the FRN rebel coalition, which includes the M23 movement.
The situation is worsening amid doubts about the effectiveness of the 2025 peace agreement brokered by the United States.

Military tribunal hands down death sentences

The military court of the Goma garrison has sentenced 66 servicemen of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) accused of cowardice, mutiny and disobeying orders. The trial followed the arrest of at least 71 soldiers detained over various incidents connected to fierce fighting on the country's borders with Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi. Prosecutors sought the death penalty for 70 defendants and 10 years' imprisonment for one intelligence officer, but the court acquitted four of the accused. The rest received the ultimate punishment for abandoning their positions and fleeing the battlefield during clashes with rebels of the Front for the Refoundation of the Nation (FRN).

Purpose of the sentences and the conflict's context

Major Dieudonne Kasereka, head of FARDC communications in the affected region, said that handing down such severe sentences was necessary to strengthen discipline in military units in North and South Kivu. The conflict is aggravated by the involvement of the FRN grouping, which unites the M23 movement and the Alliance River Congo (AFC). As Deutsche Welle notes, the coalition is led by former DRC president Joseph Kabila, who went into self-imposed exile in rebel-held territory after Felix Tshisekedi came to power in 2019. The ethnic Rwandan Hutu militia FDLR is also active in the region.

International dimension and previous agreements

Despite denials of involvement by Rwandan President Paul Kagame, the DRC and the international community point to evidence of Rwanda's involvement in the conflict. Earlier this year, the United Nations condemned the FRN and Rwandan soldiers for killings, torture, forced recruitment of children and other human rights violations. The situation is unfolding against the backdrop of the 2025 US-brokered peace deal, which, in the view of a number of observers, was concluded in Washington and is seen as an agreement serving primarily US economic interests, but one that failed to resolve the long-running conflict. The M23 rebels continue their offensive on DRC territory despite the aforementioned peace agreement.