FARDC soldier’s conviction for drunk driving and failure to comply with instructions shakes Beni military court

**The Beni Military Court: FARDC Soldier Tried for Drunk Driving and Failure to Comply with Orders**

In the midst of the turmoil of military affairs, a crucial issue is emerging in Beni, in the troubled North Kivu region of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The soldier of the Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC), Siméon Kabeya, is at the center of a flagrant trial for drunk driving and failure to comply with orders, before the city’s military court.

In a landscape marked by violence and chaos, this episode highlights the flaws of a system where impunity and laxity seem to prevail. Captain Hubert Kabandani, the accusing body, evokes damning facts where more than twenty-seven co-defendants take the stand to testify about the actions of soldier Kabeya. Dangerous driving, drunk driving, excessive speed on public roads: so many serious offences that led to this tragedy.

The situation crystallized in the courtroom, where looks mixed between shock and disbelief. The public prosecutor invoked Article 1 of Ordinance-Law No. 78-001 of 1978, punishing flagrant offences, to justify the immediate appearance of the defendant. However, the defence raised a poignant exception: the precarious state of health of Siméon Kabeya, injured in the road accident that claimed victims on the Beni-Oïcha axis.

The atmosphere was heavy, charged with emotions exacerbated by the tragedy that had unfolded. The Kamaz military vehicle, under Kabeya’s leadership, overturned in a crash of metal and broken lives. Bullets crackled, screams tore through the night, leaving an indelible mark on the surrounding military and civilian community.

In the background, the picture emerges of an army torn between duties and excesses, between discipline and deregulation. Wednesday, August 21 will remain etched in memories as the day when justice will have to decide on the fate of this lost soldier, victim of his own excesses. May this trial be a strong signal, a bitter lesson, to remind us that everyone’s life is based on choices, responsibilities and inevitable consequences.

While waiting for the decision of the Beni military court, the country holds its breath, suspended between justice and injustice, between mourning and hope. The shadow of Siméon Kabeya hovers over this case, symbol of an army in search of redemption, of a nation prey to its demons. May the light of truth illuminate this tortuous path towards reconciliation and reconstruction.