Twenty-five soldiers have been sentenced to death by a military tribunal in the Democratic Republic of Congo for fleeing battles against M23 rebels and theft, their lawyer and an army spokesman said on Thursday, July 4, The EastAfrican reports.
Twenty-five soldiers have been sentenced to death by a military tribunal in the Democratic Republic of Congo for fleeing battles against M23 rebels and theft, their lawyer and an army spokesman said on Thursday, July 4,On Tuesday, the army detained 27 soldiers after they abandoned their positions in the villages of Keseghe and Matembe in the province. Army spokesman Reagan Mbuyi Kalonji said the runaways were found stealing goods from shops in the nearby village of Alimbongo.
One soldier was handed a 10-year prison sentence while the four wives and another soldier were acquitted.Their lawyer, Jules Muvweko, said he would appeal the verdict. Eight officers were sentenced to death in May for cowardice and other crimes, exposing damaging disarray in DR Congo's armed forces which has been hobbling the fight against M23, army officers told Reuters. DR Congo lifted a moratorium on the death penalty in March, citing treachery and espionage in recurring armed conflicts as the reason.
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