Kinshasa, (News of South) — A Congolese military court on Tuesday sentenced former president Joseph Kabila to death in absentia on charges of treason, war crimes and crimes against humanity, marking one of the most dramatic legal and political turns in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s history.
The verdict, delivered by the High Military Court in Kinshasa after months of proceedings, found Kabila guilty of colluding with the M23 rebel movement, conspiring against the state, and enabling atrocities in the country’s conflict-ridden east. Judges ordered the former head of state to face the ultimate penalty, along with fines and compensation orders for victims.
Kabila, who ruled Congo from 2001 to 2019 after succeeding his assassinated father Laurent-Désiré Kabila, was tried in absentia and has denied the charges through his lawyers. His political allies called the process a “judicial ambush” designed to sideline him, while the government hailed it as an unprecedented step toward accountability for high-level crimes.
A rare sentence against an ex-head of state
The prosecution accused Kabila of secretly funding, arming and politically supporting the M23 rebel group, whose fighters have seized swathes of territory in North Kivu since late 2021. Prosecutors said his alleged actions amounted to treason and linked him directly to war crimes, including killings, torture and sexual violence attributed to M23 units.
“This verdict shows that no one is above the law, not even a former president,” said government spokesperson Patrick Muyaya in a televised statement. “The Congolese people deserve justice for the atrocities they have endured.”
The defence, absent from much of the trial, rejected the judgment as illegitimate. “This was not justice, it was politics,” said a statement from Kabila’s People’s Party for Reconstruction and Democracy (PPRD). “The former president was denied the right to a fair hearing and the truth will one day emerge.”A court under scrutiny
The trial was heard by a military tribunal, raising concerns about due process and impartiality. Legal analysts noted that in-absentia proceedings, particularly against former leaders, often struggle to gain international legitimacy.
“Trying a former head of state for war crimes in domestic courts can be a sign of progress, but fairness is everything,” said Géraud Biyoya, a Congolese political scientist. “If the process looks like a purge, the verdict will deepen divisions rather than heal them.”
Human rights groups have so far issued cautious reactions, urging Congo to allow appeals and international monitoring. The DRC still retains the death penalty, though executions have been rare in recent years.
Regional and international reverberations
The ruling could reshape Congo’s fragile political landscape. Kabila still commands loyalty among parts of the military and political elite, and his sentencing risks igniting unrest among supporters.
The case also carries regional implications. M23’s insurgency has long strained ties between Kinshasa and Kigali, with Congo accusing Rwanda of backing the rebels — a charge Rwanda denies. Linking Kabila to the insurgency complicates efforts at mediation in the volatile Great Lakes region.
International actors, including the African Union and the United Nations, are expected to weigh in as they monitor the potential fallout. Diplomatic sources said quiet conversations are already underway to prevent the verdict from triggering fresh violence.
Kabila’s exact whereabouts remain unclear, though he has occasionally surfaced abroad since leaving office in 2019.
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