Beni: Twenty-five soldiers in the Democratic Republic of Congo were sentenced to death in a one-day trial on Wednesday accused of “defeating the enemy” in the fight against the M23 rebels.
A total of 31 defendants, including 27 soldiers and four civilian wives, appeared near the front row at the Butembo Garrison Military Court in North Kivu province.
One of the defense lawyers, Jules Muweko, told AFP that he faces several charges, including “running away from the enemy”, distributing ammunition, disobeying orders and stealing.
“25 soldiers, including two captains, were sentenced to death,” Muweko said at the end of the trial.
Four other accused, including four women, were acquitted due to lack of evidence, he said.
Since last weekend, M23 (March 23 Movement) has captured several towns on the northern side of the conflict.
His achievements include Butembo and Beni, the strategic town of Kanyabayonga, which is seen as the gateway to the main commercial centers.
M23 has also laid siege to Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, in the past few years, killing many and displacing hundreds of thousands.
According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, 2.8 million people have been displaced in North Kivu.
Kinshasa accuses Rwanda of supporting the M3 rebel group, which Kigali denies.
DR Congo’s mineral-rich east has been on the brink of 30 years of war between local and foreign armed groups, dating back to regional wars in the 1990s.
Last March, the Congolese government lifted a moratorium on the death penalty that had been in place since 2003.
The movement specifically targeted soldiers accused of treason during a period of armed rebellion in the east of the country. In early May, eight Congolese soldiers, along with five officers, were sentenced to death in Goma for “cowardice” and “running away from the enemy”.
