Eighty four Congolese soldiers accused of fleeing battles against AFC/M23 rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo are facing trial on multiple charges, including violating military orders, the army said Thursday.

According to the army, a group of soldiers who were deployed in Walikale territory withdrew from the front line in the Rutoboko area in the face of war with AFC/M23 rebels and “began to fire shots in the air in disregard of orders from their commander.”

The incident reportedly occurred in recent months amid delays in payment of the soldier’s bonuses.

Major Nestor Mavudisa, a spokesman for the military’s third defense zone, told reporters that the trial, which started Wednesday at Kisangani Garrison Military Court in Tshopo province, would show serving officers that at the front line, no claim can justify a violation of command orders.

The trial is expected to last about two weeks.

Clashes continued in recent days between the AFC/M23 rebel group and government forces, according to local sources.

In 2024, some 25 soldiers were sentenced to death by a military court in North Kivu for fleeing fighting against M23 rebels in the east of the country, according to local media.

The M23 rebels have been at the center of the conflict in eastern Congo. The group, allegedly supported by neighboring Rwanda, controls significant territory in eastern Congo, including the provincial capitals of Goma and Bukavu, which were seized early in 2025.

The Congo, the UN and Western nations accuse Rwanda of supporting the M23 rebel group, which Kigali denies. ​​​​​​​ (AA)