Congo army desertion trials cast spotlight on a broken force
Congolese soldiers walk in a formation before their trial for allegedly abandoning their posts and committing crimes against the civilians, including theft and rape, at the Musienene military court in Lubero, North Kivu province in the DRC on February 26, 2025.
Congolese soldiers in a mix of fatigues and street clothes crowded into a chapel last week to stand trial for crimes including rape and murder allegedly committed as they fled in the face of a lightning rebel advance.
Their statements during the court martial proceedings highlighted the dysfunction of an army that has now lost more territory in eastern Congo than ever before to Rwanda-backed M23 fighters, though its woes go well beyond the rank and file.
