DR Congo's ex-president Kabila sentenced to death for treason, war crimes

By James Tasamba

KIGALI, Rwanda (AA) - The High Military Court in the Democratic Republic of Congo sentenced former President Joseph Kabila to death in absentia Tuesday.

Kabila was found guilty of multiple charges including participation in an insurrectional movement, treason, torture and war crimes, according to the verdict by the court in the capital Kinshasa.

His trial opened in July following the lifting of his parliamentary immunity by the Senate in May.

Kabila was implicated in atrocities allegedly committed in eastern Congo provinces by the M23 rebels.

The court said that in the provincial capitals of Goma and Bukavu, Kabila “held meetings for the conduct of hostilities and inspected” training canters of the M23 rebels.

Kabila ruled the country from 2001 to 2019. Since 2023, he has been living mostly in South Africa.

But earlier this year, he made public appearances in eastern Congo and expressed his interest to return home to "contribute to finding a solution" to the ongoing crisis.

Eastern Congo has experienced one of Africa’s most protracted conflicts.

Since January, the security situation has sharply deteriorated, with renewed fighting reported between government forces and the M23 rebels, which have seized several strategic areas including Goma and Bukavu.

Since the signing in the Qatari capital Doha of a ceasefire deal dubbed the Declaration of Principles in July between Congo and a coalition of various rebel groups that includes the M23 (AFC/M23), the two sides have found themselves torn between progress in the peace process and renewed fighting in eastern Congo.