A military court in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has sentenced 66 soldiers to death for offences including desertion, mutiny and disobeying orders during fighting with rebels in the country’s east, according to local media.
The soldiers were among 71 troops tried in Walikale, North Kivu province. Four were acquitted, while one received a 10-year prison sentence.
The case followed reports that the troops abandoned their positions during clashes with rebel fighters on 20th October. Military authorities say the prosecutions are part of efforts to restore discipline within the armed forces.
Eastern DR Congo has been gripped by years of violence involving government troops and armed groups, including the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels.