A military court in the volatile east of DR Congo sentenced 22 soldiers to death on Monday for “fleeing the enemy”, a lawyer told AFP, as Congolese armed forces fight against M23 rebels.
Sixteen soldiers were handed death sentences in one case in the North Kivu province, and six others in a separate case.
The sentences were handed down in two separate cases.
In the first, sixteen soldiers from North Kivu province received the death penalty.
In the second case, also from North Kivu, six more soldiers faced the same fate.
This follows a similar sentence delivered last week to 25 soldiers for the same offense.
The M23 rebellion has plagued North Kivu for over two and a half years.
The Congolese military has struggled to contain the insurgency, and these recent death sentences come as tensions in the region remain high.
Lawyers for the condemned soldiers have indicated their intention to appeal the rulings.