Congo seeks death penalty for ex-president Kabila in explosive treason case

Former President Joseph Kabila is facing the death penalty in a dramatic trial unfolding in absentia, as Congo’s military prosecutor accuses him of treason, war crimes, and backing the Rwanda-aligned M23 rebel group that has overrun eastern regions of the country.
Kabila, who ruled the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) from 2001 to 2019, is being charged with organizing an armed insurrection, overseeing atrocities including murder and torture, and plotting to overthrow his successor, President Félix Tshisekedi. Prosecutors allege he helped form the Congo River Alliance, a political arm of the M23. General Lucien-René Likulia, leading the prosecution, described Kabila as the “intellectual author” behind violence that has destabilized the mineral-rich east. The court heard that Kabila’s alleged actions contributed to the occupation of key cities like Goma, where he made a controversial return in May after two years in self-imposed exile.
Prosecutors also seek $24 billion in reparations, asset seizures, and reclassification of treason to espionage — claiming Kabila is a Rwandan citizen, whose real name is Hyppolite Kanambe. Kabila’s political allies have denounced the trial as a “political persecution” and a “set-up”, accusing Tshisekedi’s government of targeting a rival. Although Congo reinstated the death penalty last year, no executions have taken place. Kabila, stripped of his senatorial immunity in May, has dismissed the charges as “arbitrary,” alleging the courts are being used as an “instrument of oppression”. A verdict date has yet to be announced.