DRC Court Sentences 25 Soldiers to Death for Desertion and Looting

A court in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has sentenced 25 soldiers to death after they were convicted of abandoning their posts and committing theft, among other charges.

The soldiers deserted their duty posts in Keseghe and Matembe villages in North Kivu province during an invasion by M23 rebels.

Army spokesman Reagan Mbuyi Kalonji reported, “The runaways were found stealing goods from shops in the nearby village of Alimbongo.”

“They were detained along with four of their wives, who were staying in the village and who received the looted goods,” Kalonji added.

A military tribunal convened in Alimbongo on Wednesday to try the accused soldiers.

The presiding judge sentenced the 25 soldiers to death for theft, fleeing the enemy, and violating orders, among other charges.

One soldier received a 10-year prison sentence, while the four wives and another soldier were acquitted.

All the convicted soldiers denied the charges, except for one who pleaded guilty.

Their lawyer, Jules Muvweko, announced plans to appeal the verdict.

Mimi Mefo Info – DRC Court

---

Mimi Mefo Info (MMI) is an Independent online news reporting network based in the UK, Germany & Cameroon. We have reporters across most of Cameroon’s ten regions, bringing you independent news on a daily basis. MMI is not affiliated with any government or organisation. As such, we report the news with objectivity, aiming to encourage freedom of the press and expression, hold authorities to account, and encourage a system of citizen journalism where Cameroonians from all works of life can get their stories told.

Despite the hostile media environment in Cameroon, where journalists are constantly, harassed, arrested, or killed, MMI believes that the only way to overcome this is to create a structure of reporting, where journalists are free to work, without jeopardising their safety. Hence, while MMI is registered in the UK and has its top management out of Cameroon, the journalists who cover the news on a daily basis are resident across different regions of Cameroon.

MMI also covers news of interest across different countries in Africa and the globe. Often, these are stories that have been authenticated by local media sources. The objective is to amplify the voices of others in these countries and provide the Cameroonian audience with up-to-date happenings in other areas of the continent and the world.

We believe that information is power and should be used in shaping society for the good of everyone. We believe that everyone stands to benefit when we embrace and value the diversity of thoughts, ideas, and ways of working that people from different backgrounds, experiences, and identities bring.