In a significant move aimed at strengthening military discipline, a military court in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) has sentenced 66 soldiers to death for cowardice, mutiny, and refusal to obey orders. The verdict was delivered following a trial involving 71 soldiers, four of whom were acquitted and one who received a 10-year prison sentence. The trials took place in Walikale, North Kivu province, where the soldiers were accused of abandoning their posts during clashes with rebel forces, particularly the Front for the Refoundation of the Nation (FRN), a coalition that includes the M23 group. The army's campaign against armed groups has been hampered by issues such as poor discipline and disorganization within its ranks. The government has repeatedly accused neighboring Rwanda of supporting the M23, an allegation denied by both Kigali and the rebels despite substantial evidence to the contrary. The decision to reinstate the death penalty in DR Congo in March 2024, after a 20-year moratorium, was aimed at removing "traitors" within the army. The move was widely criticized by human rights groups but no formal executions have been carried out since then. Since the beginning of 2025, at least 507 soldiers have been convicted, with 381 receiving death sentences, according to figures compiled by French broadcaster RFI. In October 2025, former Congolese President Joseph Kabila was sentenced to death in absentia on charges including war crimes and treason, a decision he denies but has not contested in court. He has since been named as the leader of the FRN. For more news from the African continent, visit BBCAfrica.com or follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, Facebook at BBC Africa, or Instagram at bbcafrica.