Capital crimes are: aggravated murder, aggravated robbery,...

Capital crimes are: aggravated murder, aggravated robbery, treason, political and military offenses and genocide.
Since 1994 the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DROC; formerly called Zaire) has been rent by ethnic strife and civil war, touched off by a massive inflow of refugees from the fighting in Rwanda and Burundi. The government of former president Mobutu Sese Seko was toppled by a rebellion led by Laurent Kabila in May 1997; his regime was subsequently challenged by a Rwanda- and Uganda-backed rebellion in August 1998. Troops from Zimbabwe, Angola, Namibia, Chad, and Sudan intervened to support the Kinshasa regime. A cease-fire was signed on 10 July 1999, but sporadic fighting continued. Kabila was assassinated in January 2001 and his son Joseph Kabila was named head of state. The new president quickly began overtures to end the war.
On December 10, 1999 a moratorium on executions was declared (only for ordinary crimes) by Minister for Foreign Affairs Leonard She Okitundu.
In August 1997, Kabila set up tribunals to deal with escalating insecurity and indiscipline within the army. The tribunals operate on the basis that the country is still at war. Although the COM (Cour d'ordre militaire) was set up to try soldiers accused of military offences, it has also tried civilians accused of political and economic offences, many of whom are political prisoners and prisoners of conscience. It has sentenced hundreds of people to death, of which up to 250 have been executed. The court's proceedings have consistently contravened both international standards for fair trial and United Nations standards protecting the rights of those facing the death penalty. Its statute prohibits appeal to a higher jurisdiction, leaving defendants with no opportunity to challenge convictions and sentences, except to appeal for presidential clemency. At least 25 people, including civilians, were condemned to death during 2000 by the COM.