A military court in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has sentenced former president Joseph Kabila to death in absentia after convicting him of war crimes, treason, and crimes against humanity. The verdict stems from his alleged role in backing the advance of M23 rebels supported by Rwanda in the country's volatile eastern provinces.
Presiding Lieutenant General Joseph Mutombo Katalayi stated that Kabila was found guilty of charges including murder, sexual assault, torture, and insurrection. The court imposed the death penalty under article 7 of the military penal code and ordered Kabila to pay approximately $50 billion (£36 billion) in damages to the state and victims.
Kabila, who led the DRC from 2001 to 2019, did not attend the trial and was not represented by legal counsel. He has denied wrongdoing, claiming the judiciary has been politicised. His whereabouts are unknown, though he has been living mostly in South Africa since 2023 and appeared in the rebel-held city of Goma in May.
The verdict could fuel further divisions in the mineral-rich central African nation, which has endured decades of conflict. Kabila stepped down after deadly protests and entered an awkward power-sharing deal with his successor, Felix Tshisekedi, but their relationship soured. Tshisekedi has accused Kabila of sponsoring the M23 insurgency, which now controls much of North Kivu and South Kivu provinces.
