DRC : 27 soldiers sentenced to death for abandoning strategic positions in Uvira

SOS Médias Burundi

Uvira, October 6, 2026 — Twenty-seven soldiers from the Republican Guard were sentenced to death by a military court sitting in Uvira, South Kivu province (eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo), following a trial focused on charges including the abandonment of military positions and disobedience of orders.

The verdict was handed down on Saturday, October 3, after approximately two weeks of hearings at Uvira Central Prison. A total of 112 soldiers from the 21st “Simba” (Lion) Battalion appeared before the military court.

The soldiers were prosecuted for, among other things, abandoning strategic positions in the mountainous areas of Malimba and Masango—within the Bijombo grouping—on the night of August 23, while they were engaged in the defense of Uvira.

The court found them guilty of charges including “cowardice in the face of the enemy” and disobedience of orders.

Sentences ranging from six months to capital punishment

Of the 112 soldiers prosecuted, 27 were sentenced to death. Another 54 received five-year prison terms, while 10 were sentenced to six months.

Conversely, 21 soldiers were acquitted.

In total, 91 soldiers were convicted and 21 were acquitted.

Fighting in the highlands

The Uvira and Fizi highlands are frequently the scene of clashes involving the FARDC (the Congolese loyalist army)—backed by Burundian troops from the National Defence Force of Burundi (FDNB) and local “Wazalendo” militias maintained and supported by Kinshasa—against the AFC/M23, Twirwaneho, and the Burundian armed group RED-Tabara.

Clashes have notably been reported in the Malimba, Masango, Magunda, and Kashongo sectors.

After abandoning positions at Malimba and Masango, Congolese authorities reinforced several locations, particularly in Malimba, Ruhuha, Masango, and Rubuga. Drones were reportedly also used during military operations, according to statements by Fidèle Rugabo, a spokesperson for Twirwaneho.

Uvira—a strategic city near the Burundian border, just a few kilometers from the commercial capital Bujumbura (where Burundi’s main economic, diplomatic, and international institutions are concentrated)—was seized by the AFC/M23 in December 2025 before the movement withdrew on January 17, 2026, largely due to strong pressure from the United States. However, the AFC/M23 retained positions north of the city and in the highlands.

Kinshasa accuses Kigali of supporting the AFC/M23, a claim Rwanda denies.

The convicted soldiers have the right to appeal the military court’s decisions. These convictions come as, in neighboring Burundi, another 272 soldiers have been serving sentences ranging from four years to life imprisonment since late December 2024 for refusing to fight alongside the FARDC and Wazalendo militias against AFC/M23 rebels. They are held at Murembwe Central Prison in the port city of Rumonge, in southwestern Burundi.