Three FARDC Officers Sentenced to Death in Beni

A military court in Beni, North Kivu, has handed down death sentences to three officers of the FARDC (Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo). The officers, identified as two lieutenants and a captain, were convicted of simple desertion and violating orders during the ongoing state of siege in the region. The verdict was delivered Friday evening after a trial conducted under flagrante delicto procedures.

In a related case, two men who claimed to be Wazalendo commanders were sentenced to twenty years in prison. They were found guilty of illegal recruitment of soldiers and disseminating false information. According to military justice, these individuals established a clandestine network in Beni's Malepe neighborhood. They allegedly recruited civilians and military personnel, misusing the name of the Defense Army Reserve (RAD) without official authorization.

The court also convicted them of inciting soldiers to break discipline and spreading false rumors. The military tribunal stated that the officers sentenced to death had been recruited by a man claiming to be the coordinator of the National Patriots' Committee (CONAP), a structure that purports to unite various Wazalendo groups across the country. The convicted individuals have a five-day window to file an appeal against the sentences.