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International News Desk
A public prosecutor in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has called for the death penalty against former president Joseph Kabila Kabange, accusing him of colluding with the March 23 Movement (M23) rebels.
Lieutenant General Lucien-René Likulia Bakumi, Auditor General of the Armed Forces (FARDC), representing the Attorney General, told the High Military Court on Friday that Kabila was the “intellectual instigator” of atrocities committed by the M23/AFC rebels in eastern Congo.
According to the prosecutor, the violence carried out by the rebel group has inflicted “immense harm” on the country, warranting Kabila’s individual criminal responsibility.
In addition to the death penalty, the prosecution requested 20 years’ imprisonment for condoning war crimes, 15 years for conspiracy, and the former president’s immediate arrest and conviction to pay court costs.
The trial, which began in July in Kabila’s absence, is expected to deliver a verdict by September 1, 2025.
Alleged rebel ties
Last year, M23 rebels announced Kabila’s presence in Goma, where he has since held engagements with religious leaders and has been spotted with top rebel commanders. Prosecutors allege that Kabila, working with Rwanda, sought to overthrow President Félix Tshisekedi through a coup.
Kabila faces a wide range of charges, including treason, war crimes, homicide, torture, rape, and forcible occupation of Goma. He has also been described as “one of the initiators” of the Congo River Alliance (AFC), the M23’s political wing. While DRC lifted its moratorium on capital punishment last year, no executions have been carried out in recent times.
Deputy Justice Minister Samuel Mbemba told reporters: “The courts do not negotiate; they will do their work independently.”
Supporters Denounce ‘Political Trial’
Kabila’s party, the People’s Party for Reconstruction and Democracy (PPRD), condemned the case as a “sham trial.” PPRD permanent secretary Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary dismissed the proceedings as politically motivated, telling media houses: “It is an unfair and unjust trial. We see hatred oozing from it towards someone who gave you everything. This only makes Joseph Kabila stronger and more resilient.”
Opposition leader Moïse Katumbi, through his party Together for the Republic, also denounced the trial, calling it a “cynical political manoeuvre” intended to silence a major political figure.
Kabila himself has branded the proceedings “arbitrary”, accusing the courts of being “an instrument of oppression.”
Rebels deny connection
The M23 movement has denied Kabila’s alleged involvement. At a press conference in Goma in late July, AFC/M23 executive secretary Benjamin Mbonimpa said the former president should not be branded a rebel member simply because of his presence in Goma.
“As a Congolese citizen, Kabila is free to go wherever he likes,” Mbonimpa said, describing the trial as part of a “malevolent strategy” against him.
Background
Kabila took office in 2001 following the assassination of his father, Laurent-Désiré Kabila, and governed the DRC until 2019. He left the country in 2023.
Eastern Congo has been plagued by armed conflict for over three decades, with violence escalating since the resurgence of M23 in 2021. The group, backed by Rwanda, controls swathes of the mineral-rich region.
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