Former Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) President Joseph Kabila has been sentenced to death in absentia after a military court convicted him of treason, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.
The 54-year-old, who ruled DRC for 18 years following the assassination of his father, Laurent Kabila, in 2001, was found guilty on Friday of supporting the M23 rebel group, which has carried out widespread atrocities in the country’s mineral-rich eastern region.
Kabila, accused of murder, torture, sexual assault, and insurrection, denied the allegations but refused to appear in court, dismissing the proceedings as “arbitrary” and an “instrument of oppression.” His current whereabouts remain unknown.
The former leader handed over power to President Félix Tshisekedi in 2019, but relations later soured. In 2023, Kabila went into self-imposed exile after senators stripped him of his legal immunity, paving the way for prosecution. Earlier this year, Tshisekedi publicly accused him of masterminding the M23 insurgency.
Conflict in eastern DRC escalated sharply in 2025, with M23 forces seizing control of Goma, Bukavu, and two airports. Despite a ceasefire signed in July, fighting continues. The UN and Western powers have blamed neighboring Rwanda for backing M23, a claim Kigali denies.
Kabila, who briefly returned to Goma in May, had earlier said he wanted to help resolve the violence.
Source: BBC
Comments are closed, but trackbacks and pingbacks are open.