Congo sentences 66 soldiers to death for cowardice and mutiny after they allegedly fled fighting with rebels

November 10, 2026 / 7:50 AM EST / CBS News

A military court in the Democratic Republic of Congo has sentenced 66 soldiers to death for cowardice, refusing to obey orders, mutiny and squandering of munition, according to local media reports. The troops spent 12 days on trial at a military court in the town of Walikale, in Congo's eastern North Kivu province, according to Radio Okapi, along with four others who were acquitted and one who was given a 10-year jail sentence.

Military authorities said the aim of the trial was to boost discipline in the armed forces, according to multiple reports by Congolese and international news outlets.

Troops from Congo have been fighting armed groups in the country's resource-rich east for decades, including the M23 group, and the umbrella rebel coalition Front for the Refoundation of the Nation (FRN).

The soldiers were arrested on Oct. 20 after being accused of fleeing fighting with FRN fighters, according to CBS News' partner network BBC News.

The country's armed forces have been plagued by accusations of ill-discipline, while soldiers have decried poor pay and equipment, according to the BBC.

In early October, 27 other Congolese government soldiers were sentenced to death…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/entertainment/