DR Congo Military Court Sentences Ex-President Joseph Kabila to Death in Absentia for Treason and War Crimes
A military tribunal in Kinshasa has convicted former Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) President Joseph Kabila of treason, crimes against humanity, and war crimes, sentencing him to death in absentia on September 30, 2025.
The 54-year-old, who ruled DRC for 18 years until 2019, faces execution for allegedly masterminding support for the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group, which has seized vast mineral-rich territories in the east, including Goma and Bukavu, displacing millions and exacerbating decades of conflict.
Presiding Lt. Gen. Joseph Mutombo Katalayi announced the verdict, invoking Article 7 of the Military Penal Code for the “most severe” penalty, citing overwhelming evidence of Kabila’s involvement in murder, sexual assault, torture, and insurrection tied to M23’s advances.
The court also ordered Kabila to pay $50 billion in damages—$29 billion to the state for moral, infrastructural, and ecological harm, plus $4 billion split between North and South Kivu provinces.
Kabila, who succeeded his assassinated father Laurent-Désiré in 2001 and handed power to Félix Tshisekedi amid 2018 election controversy, denied all charges as “arbitrary” and accused the judiciary of political oppression.
He skipped the July trial, lacking legal representation, and his whereabouts remain unknown—likely in South Africa since his 2023 exile, though he briefly visited M23-held Goma in May 2025 to mediate peace talks.
His Common Front for Congo party called the proceedings an “illegal tragicomedy.”
Tshisekedi’s administration stripped Kabila’s immunity in May, blaming him for orchestrating M23’s resurgence, which UN and Western reports link to Rwandan troops and arms—claims Kigali rejects as defensive measures.
A July ceasefire with M23 and a June U.S.-brokered Congo-Rwanda pact hold tenuously, with violence persisting.
Experts doubt enforcement absent Kabila’s capture, viewing the verdict as a tool to consolidate power amid eastern instability.
