Kabila sentenced to death in DRC war crimes trial
Former Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) President Joseph Kabila has been sentenced to death in absentia for treason, crimes against humanity and war crimes, including murder, torture and sexual assault.
The conviction follows accusations that Kabila provided support to the M23 rebel group, blamed for widespread devastation in the country’s eastern region.
The ruling was delivered on Friday by a military court in Kinshasa, which also found Kabila guilty of aiding insurrection and collaborating with foreign-backed forces.
Kabila, who ruled the DRC for 18 years after succeeding his assassinated father Laurent-Désiré Kabila in 2001, has rejected the case as politically motivated.
In a statement, he described the prosecution as “arbitrary” and the judiciary as “an instrument of oppression.”
His current whereabouts remain unknown, though he has been in self-imposed exile since 2023.
Once a towering political figure, Kabila handed over power to President Félix Tshisekedi in 2019, but relations between the two later collapsed.
Earlier this year, Congolese senators stripped him of his legal immunity, clearing the way for prosecution.
The government has long accused Kabila of being the “brains” behind the resurgence of M23.
In April, the former president declared his intention to mediate peace efforts but appeared in the rebel-held city of Goma weeks later, intensifying suspicions of his complicity.
Meanwhile, violence in eastern Congo continues to escalate. The M23 has seized major cities such as Goma and Bukavu, along with two airports, displacing thousands.
The United Nations and several Western governments allege that Rwanda is backing the rebel group with weapons and troops, though Kigali denies the claims, insisting its role is limited to border security.
Despite a ceasefire deal signed in July, fighting persists, threatening regional stability.
