Because of their cowardice in facing the M23 rebels, DR Congo soldiers were given the death penalty

seven soldiers who are accused

Seven soldiers were found guilty of murder and showing cowardice in the face of the enemy by a court in the Democratic Republic of the Congo's east.

They were discovered to have retreated from oncoming M23 rebels through the town of Sake, where they carelessly fired their weapons, killing two people in the process.

The soldiers' attorneys said they would file an appeal.

Three more soldiers were found guilty of cowardice in November of last year and given the death penalty.

In the DR Congo, death sentences are replaced with life in prison.

Even though Pope Francis made a strong plea to end conflicts when he visited the nation last week, fighting in the mineral-rich North Kivu province has escalated and forced tens of thousands from their homes.

Pope Francis addressed an estimated million people at a Mass in the capital Kinshasa, saying, "Hands off the Democratic Republic of the Congo! Hands off Africa! Stop choking Africa, it is not a mine to be stripped or a terrain to be plundered.".

Since gaining its independence in the 1960s, the DR Congo has been plagued by war. Conflicts over control of the region's mineral wealth and ethnic rivalry have motivated some.

Public outrage has been directed at the UN and the regional force in East Africa for failing to prevent the M23 rebels from capturing large tracts of land in North Kivu.

DR Congo, the US, and UN experts accuse neighboring Rwanda of supporting the rebels; Rwanda disputes these accusations.

As some Hutu rebels were connected to the 1994 Rwandan genocide, Rwanda has long criticized the Congolese government for failing to disarm them.

Source link

You've successfully subscribed to Webosor
Great! Next, complete checkout to get full access to all premium content.
Welcome back! You've successfully signed in.
Unable to sign you in. Please try again.
Success! Your account is fully activated, you now have access to all content.
Error! Stripe checkout failed.
Success! Your billing info is updated.
Billing info update failed.