KINSHASA, DRC – In a seismic development that has sent political shockwaves across Central Africa, a military court in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has sentenced former President Joseph Kabila to death in absentia. The ruling, delivered in Kinshasa on Tuesday, September 30, 2025, found the 54-year-old former leader guilty of treason and complicity with the notorious M23 rebel group.
The verdict comes after Kabila’s nearly two-decade rule, which spanned from 2001 to 2019, was marked by instability and persistent allegations of corruption.
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The Charges: Treason and Conspiracy
Military prosecutor General Lucien Rene Likulia informed the court that Kabila was accused of colluding with the M23 armed movement, which has seized vast territories in eastern DRC, allegedly with backing from Rwanda. Likulia stated that the former president had worked with Rwanda to plot the overthrow of the current head of state, President Felix Tshisekedi.
Additional grave charges listed against Kabila included homicide, torture, and rape—crimes directly linked to M23’s activities. The prosecution argued that Kabila had coordinated coup efforts alongside Corneille Nangaa, a former chief of the electoral commission.
“The death penalty is the only just punishment for the crimes committed,” General Likulia declared, highlighting the gravity of the accusations.
Political Fallout and Legal Context
Kabila’s political party has vehemently rejected the proceedings, labeling the trial as politically motivated and an attempt to silence the ex-president and undermine opposition forces. Observers suggest the death sentence may serve the strategic purpose of preventing Kabila from mobilizing opposition groups within the country, particularly given his unclear whereabouts after leaving the DRC in 2023.
This highly sensitive ruling occurs against the backdrop of the DRC’s tumultuous security situation. The country, plagued by violence for over three decades, lifted its moratorium on the death penalty in 2023, though no judicial executions have been carried out since.
President Tshisekedi has repeatedly accused Kabila of being the mastermind behind M23’s resurgence, fueling instability, while Kabila, in turn, has dismissed Tshisekedi’s government as a dictatorship.
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