DR Congo sentences 66 soldiers to death
The gist
A DR Congo military court sentenced 66 soldiers to death for cowardice, mutiny and disobeying orders.
No executions have followed since the country lifted its death-penalty moratorium in 2024.
How it unfolded
- Mar 2024DR Congo lifts a 20-year moratorium on the death penalty, citing the need to remove "traitors" within the army.
- Oct 2025Former President Joseph Kabila is sentenced to death in absentia on charges including war crimes and treason; he denies the accusations and does not appear in court.
- Oct 20, 2026Soldiers of the 3415th Regiment are arrested in Walikale territory, accused of abandoning their positions and fleeing during clashes with FRN fighters.
Key terms
- moratorium
- A delay or suspension of an activity or law, often temporary.
- in absentia
- A criminal trial conducted without the accused person present in court.
- M23
- A Rwandan-backed Congolese rebel paramilitary group based in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Source: Wikipedia