A court in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo has sentenced seven soldiers to death for cowardice in the face of the enemy and murder.

They were found to have fled advancing M23 rebels, retreating through the town of Sake where they caused the death of two people by recklessly discharging their arms.

Their lawyers plan to appeal.

Last November, three other soldiers were convicted of cowardice and sentenced to death.

In DR Congo death sentences are commuted to life imprisonment

DR Congo has been beset by conflicts since its independence in the 1960s. Some have been driven by the fight to control its mineral wealth, others by ethnic rivalry.

There's been public anger against the UN and the East African regional force for failing to stop M23 rebels from capturing large swathes of territory in North Kivu.

DR Congo, the US and UN experts accuse neighbouring Rwanda of backing the rebels - a claim it denies.

Rwanda has for many years criticised the Congolese authorities for failing to disarm Hutu rebels - some of whom were linked to the 1994 Rwandan genocide.

Source: BBC