DAKAR, Senegal — Congolese officials have moved to potentially bring former President Joseph Kabila to trial by requesting that the senate lift his immunity, the Justice Minister announced. This move follows allegations that Kabila is linked to supporting a rebel insurgency in the turbulent eastern region of Congo.
In a press briefing held in Kinshasa, the capital city, Justice Minister Constant Mutamba highlighted that the government has collected compelling evidence implicating Kabila in committing “war crimes, crimes against humanity, and massacres of civilians and military personnel” in the eastern part of the country. The request to strip Kabila of his legal protections comes from Congo’s army’s attorney general.
Kabila is facing severe accusations including “treason, war crimes, and participation in an insurrectional movement,” according to the Justice Minister. These charges follow claims made last year by President Felix Tshisekedi, asserting Kabila’s involvement with the M23 rebels, who reportedly receive support from Rwanda. Tshisekedi alleged that Kabila was preparing for an uprising in eastern Congo, an accusation Kabila refutes.
Joseph Kabila governed the Democratic Republic of Congo from 2001, stepping into office at the age of 29 after his father, Laurent Kabila, was assassinated. He remained in power until 2019, extending his tenure beyond his due term by delaying elections for two years post-2016. Recently, he returned to Congo from abroad amid strained relations with President Tshisekedi’s administration. Upon his return, he was in the rebel-held eastern city of Goma with intentions to contribute to peace efforts, according to his associates.
The situation in Congo has been increasingly volatile, with conflict intensifying significantly since January. The M23 rebels have made strategic gains by capturing key locations such as Goma and the town of Bukavu. This upsurge in violence has resulted in about 3,000 fatalities and has compounded one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises, displacing approximately 7 million people.
M23, along with about 100 other armed factions, is engaged in a fierce struggle for dominance in the mineral-rich east, bordering Rwanda. The rebels reportedly benefit from Rwandan military assistance, involving around 4,000 soldiers, according to United Nations experts. Despite a recent agreement between Congo’s army and M23 to aim for a ceasefire, hostilities persist in the province of South-Kivu.
Ferdinand Kambere, a high-ranking member of Kabila’s political party, the People’s Party for Reconstruction and Democracy, denounced the justice minister’s request. He described it as an act of “relentless persecution” against Kabila. Kambere argued that the ruling administration’s persistent actions against Kabila are a sign of desperation and claimed that the allegations against the ex-president are baseless attempts at humiliation.