Former Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) President Joseph Kabila went on trial in absentia on Friday, facing grave charges including treason, homicide, torture, and rape. The military court in Kinshasa convened the high-profile case in the capital’s Gombe district, marking an unprecedented legal move against a former head of state.
The charge sheet accuses Kabila, who ruled the DRC from 2001 to 2019, of colluding with the M23 rebel group, which has wrought havoc across the mineral-rich eastern provinces of North and South Kivu. The charges also include his alleged role in supporting an insurrection movement and forcibly occupying Goma, a strategic city seized by M23 earlier this year.
Kabila is said to have visited Goma in May, months after it was captured by the M23. The government and the rebel group had pledged to work toward a permanent ceasefire in July. President Félix Tshisekedi, Kabila’s successor, has alleged that the former president is the mastermind behind M23’s resurgence and its political arm, the Congo River Alliance.
M23, reportedly backed by Rwanda, has led a brutal campaign since 2021, seizing swathes of territory. While Rwanda denies involvement, UN experts have concluded that its military played a “critical” role in the rebel offensive.
The prosecution contends that Kabila, now 54, sought to overthrow Tshisekedi’s government by force, violating national peace and security. His involvement, they argue, has led to atrocities including mass killings and sexual violence across the east.
Kabila, who left the country in 2023, has denounced the trial as “arbitrary” and labelled the courts “an instrument of oppression.” Despite holding lifetime senatorial status, his immunity was recently revoked by the upper house of Parliament to permit the trial.
Though DRC reinstated the death penalty in 2023, no executions have been carried out since. If convicted, Kabila could face capital punishment.
Eastern DRC remains volatile after three decades of armed conflict. The trial marks a critical moment in the country’s struggle for justice, accountability, and political stability.
