A military court in the Democratic Republic of Congo has sentenced former President Joseph Kabila to death in absentia, following his conviction on charges of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and treason.
The court found Kabila guilty of supporting the M23 rebel group, whose brutal insurgency has devastated parts of eastern DR Congo.
He was accused of aiding the group’s operations, which have included mass killings, sexual violence, torture, and armed insurrection.
Despite denying the allegations, Kabila did not appear in court to mount a defence.
In a statement issued before the ruling, the former president dismissed the case as politically motivated, calling it “arbitrary” and accusing the judiciary of being used as an “instrument of oppression.” His current location remains unknown.
Kabila, now 54, ruled DR Congo from 2001 to 2019, taking office after the assassination of his father, Laurent-Désiré Kabila.
Though he peacefully transferred power to Félix Tshisekedi in 2019, relations between the two leaders deteriorated, culminating in Kabila’s self-imposed exile in 2023.
In April 2025, Kabila expressed his intention to help resolve the worsening conflict in eastern DR Congo and made a surprise appearance in Goma, a key city then under M23 control. President Tshisekedi accused him of orchestrating the rebellion from behind the scenes. Soon after, DR Congo’s Senate revoked Kabila’s immunity from prosecution, allowing legal proceedings to begin.
The conviction comes amid ongoing violence in the east, where the M23 has seized swathes of mineral-rich territory, including the cities of Goma and Bukavu, as well as key transport infrastructure.
While the UN and several Western governments have presented evidence of Rwandan military support for the rebels, Kigali has consistently denied involvement, claiming its actions aim to prevent cross-border instability.
Despite a ceasefire agreement signed in July between M23 and the Congolese government, fighting has continued in multiple areas, underscoring the fragility of peace efforts in the region.
