Congo military court sentences former President Kabila to death
By AP, September 30, 2025A military court in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on Tuesday convicted former President Joseph Kabila of treason and related charges, sentencing him to death.
Kabila, who has been on trial in absentia since July and whose whereabouts are unknown, was accused of treason, involvement in an insurrection movement, conspiracy, and supporting terrorism.
The prosecutor had requested the death penalty.
The government accused Kabila of collaborating with Rwanda and the M23 rebel group, which seized key cities in eastern Congo in January and has maintained control over them since. Kabila has consistently denied any involvement.
The case follows months of political tension in the DRC. In May, the Senate voted to strip Kabila of his legal immunity, a decision the former president denounced as dictatorial.
Authorities say there is a “substantial body of documents, testimony and material facts” linking Kabila to the M23 armed group, which has occupied several towns in the mineral-rich east.
Kabila, who is 53 had lived outside of Congo in self-imposed exile but returned in April to Goma, one of the cities held by the rebel group.
It is not known if he stayed there, and his current location is unknown. Analysts warn that any trial of Kabila could further destabilise the country, which has battled M23 attacks since 2012.
Senate Speaker Jean-Michel Sama Lukonde said the body’s vote authorising the prosecution was necessary to allow the military prosecutor to pursue charges against Kabila, who had held the title of “senator for life”, giving him legal immunity.
The DRC government has also moved to seize Kabila’s assets, while his party called the prosecution “pure theatre” aimed at distracting citizens from the country’s main challenges.