Six privates and a staff sergeant were sentenced by a military court in Uvira, spokesman Jeremie Meya of the 12th Rapid Response Brigade said in a statement.

Four were jailed for life for murder, two for 20 years for attempted murder or armed robbery, and one was handed 10 years for extorsion.

An eighth individual was acquitted on a charge of extorsion.

Most of the crimes took place in South Kivu, one of several provinces in the Democratic Republic of Congo's east where scores of armed groups are active and violence is endemic.

The incidents mostly took place in November 2022 and civilians account for the majority of the victims, Meya said.