66 soldiers sentenced to death for ‘cowardice, mutiny and refusing to obey orders,’ DRC army says executions should ‘improve discipline’

66 soldiers are to be executed for “cowardice, mutiny and refusing to obey orders”, the BBC has reported. The soldiers are members of the Congolese army in the Democratic Republic of Congo, with the death sentences being handed down after 71 soldiers were reportedly put on trial in military court.

The soldiers in question have been accused of abandoning their posts and fleeing during clashes with local militia, but have been rounded up and subjected to the most serious punishment of all. The BBC reporting explains that the army believes the mass execution will “improve discipline among troops” as they struggle to bring order to areas in the eastern DRC.

But although this is a lot of executions to order at once, the Congolese army has some experience in this area. The BBC reports that since March 2024, when the nation lifted its ban on the death penalty, there have been 381 death sentences passed, with 23 in October 2026 alone.

“God alone knows the truth”

However, though death sentences have been passed, there’s no indication that any executions have actually taken place. Regardless, this is a hot-button issue. AP News quotes lawyer Alexis Olenga, who was defending a soldier given a death sentence for cowardice. She described this as “a monstrous decision” and confirmed plans to challenge it.

AP News also quotes activist Moïse Hangi, who argues that passing death sentences on soldiers will do the exact opposite of improving discipline: “instead of repairing our security apparatus, these kinds of decisions will increasingly weaken our army and make those on the lines of defense more fearful.”

Arguably, the DRC troops have a reason for low morale. For example, Alaine De Neve (per DW.com) describes “the disappearance of funds intended for soldiers’ salaries and military logistics.” He argues that this “explains why troop morale is particularly low and why desertions are recurrent. In some cases, soldiers stationed in the eastern part of the country even resort to looting or extorting local populations in order to survive.”

Reports from soldiers themselves back this up. A 2025 story by Reuters saw Siko Mongombo Brice defending himself from accusations of desertion, saying that he had simply lost sight of his comrades after several hours of fighting: “It wasn’t a flight. We were looking for our unit. They saw us in this village, (but) we don’t even know how we got there. Those who stole exist and innocent people like us exist. God alone knows the truth.”

They also quote a colonel, who struck a gloomy note. He simply said: “We are criticized but we suffer like the rest of the population.”