Ex-DR Congo leader Kabila sentenced to death for treason, war crimes
By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini
A military court in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has sentenced former President Joseph Kabila to death in absentia after convicting him of war crimes, treason, and a range of other serious offenses.
The verdict, delivered on Tuesday, marks a dramatic escalation in the political conflict between the former president and his successor, Felix Tshisekedi.
The High Military Court in Kinshasa found Kabila guilty of charges including treason, crimes against humanity, murder, sexual assault, torture, and insurrection.
Lieutenant General Joseph Mutombo Katalayi, presiding over the tribunal, stated that the court applied the most severe penalty under the military penal code.
Kabila, who led the DRC from 2001 to 2019, did not attend the trial and was not represented by legal counsel.
His current whereabouts are unknown, though he has been living primarily in South Africa since 2023 . The former president had previously dismissed the case against him, calling the courts “an instrument of oppression”.
The case stems from accusations that Kabila provided support to the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group.
The prosecution alleged he was plotting to overthrow President Tshisekedi and that the other charges were linked to the M23’s activities.
The court concluded that Kabila “had always been the undisputed leader of M23” and had led meetings and inspected training centers for the group.
The M23 has seized large swaths of territory in the eastern DRC this year, including the major cities of Goma and Bukavu.
The sentence intensifies a long-simmering political feud. Kabila handed power to Tshisekedi after the 2018 elections, but their alliance quickly soured.
In May 2025, Kabila made a highly publicized visit to the rebel-held city of Goma, where he met with religious leaders and expressed his desire to help achieve peace in the troubled eastern region .Earlier this year, the DRC Senate voted to repeal Kabila’s immunity from prosecution, a move he denounced as dictatorial.
The government has also moved to suspend his political party and seize its leaders’ assets .Despite the verdict, Kabila’s arrest seems unlikely in the immediate future.
An appeal is possible before the Court of Cassation, though only on procedural grounds . The DRC lifted a moratorium on the death penalty last year, but no judicial executions have been carried out since.
The sentencing comes amid ongoing violence in eastern DRC, where numerous armed groups operate. While a U.S.-brokered peace agreement was signed in June, and churches have launched peace initiatives, violence and atrocities against civilians persist.
The verdict against Kabila risks fueling further divisions in the vast, mineral-rich nation.