Eighty-four soldiers from the Democratic Republic of Congo are facing trial after being accused of abandoning their positions during clashes with AFC/M23 rebels in the country’s volatile east, the military said on Thursday.
According to army officials, the troops were deployed in Walikale territory but withdrew from front-line positions in the Rutoboko area amid fighting. They are also accused of firing into the air in defiance of direct orders from their commander.
Military authorities say the incident occurred in recent months, with reports suggesting frustration over delayed bonus payments may have contributed to the breakdown in discipline.
Major Nestor Mavudisa, spokesperson for the army’s third defense zone, said the proceedings — which began Wednesday at the Kisangani Garrison Military Court in Tshopo province — are intended to reinforce discipline within the ranks.
“At the front line, no justification can excuse disobedience of command,” he told reporters.
The trial is expected to last around two weeks.
The case comes as fighting continues between Congolese forces and the AFC/M23 rebel group, which remains a central actor in the long-running conflict in eastern Congo.
In a similar case in 2024, around 25 soldiers were sentenced to death by a military court in North Kivu after being convicted of fleeing combat against M23 fighters.
The M23 group — widely accused by the Democratic Republic of Congo, the United Nations, and Western governments of receiving backing from Rwanda — has seized and maintained control over key territories in the east, including the provincial capitals of Goma and Bukavu in early 2025. Kigali has consistently denied supporting the group.