A Congolese general who was alleged to have backed AFC/M23 passes away

According to rumors, a Congolese general who was detained following the AFC/M23 rebels’ capture of Goma, the seat of North Kivu Province in eastern DR Congo, in late January, has passed away.

Former Congolese army (FARDC) 34th military area commander Major General Nzambe Dieu Gentil Alengbia Nyitetessya passed away on Wednesday, April 16, at Camp Tshatshi.

In the court martial trial, he was one of five defendants who had fled the battlefield during the government coalition’s conflict with the AFC/M23.

A military court in North Kivu sentenced 25 troops who were suspected of escaping fighting against the rebels in July 2024, finding them guilty of dissipating war weapons, following orders, and fleeing the enemy.

Eight Congolese troops, including five officers, were also given death sentences in Goma in early May for “cowardice” and “fleeing the enemy.”