APA-Kinshasa (RDC) – The sentence comes after the Congolese government lifted the moratorium on the death penalty in March.
Eight Congolese soldiers, including five officers, have been sentenced to death for “cowardice” and “running away from the enemy” by a military court in Goma, in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the M23 rebellion is gaining ground.
Prosecutors had sought the death penalty for all 11 defendants, but the court acquitted three sergeants for lack of evidence.
The convicts were all involved in the fight against the M23, which has taken control of much of North Kivu province with the support of the Rwandan army.
Despite the defense’s claims, the court ruled that the eight defendants had indeed committed the crimes with which they were charged.
The defendants’ lawyers have announced their intention to appeal.
This decision comes after the Congolese government lifted a moratorium on the death penalty in March, specifically targeting military personnel accused of treason and criminals responsible for urban violence leading to death.
Growing concern over the Congolese army’s inability to contain the M23 has led to suspicions of infiltration within the security forces.
Since the start of the rebellion, many members of the armed forces, as well as political and business figures from the east of the country, have been arrested for “complicity with the enemy.”
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights expressed concern over the decision and reiterated the UN’s commitment to the abolition of the death penalty.
Congolese President Félix Thshisekedi justified the move as a means of deterring Rwanda’s allies.
Although death sentences are regularly handed down in the DRC, they have traditionally been commuted to life imprisonment.
AC/lb/APA/AFP
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