Congo’s Ex-President Kabila Sentenced To Death in Absentia

Former Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) president, Joseph Kabila, has been sentenced to decease successful absentia by a subject tribunal successful Kinshasa aft being recovered blameworthy of warfare crimes, treason, and crimes against humanity.

The ruling, delivered connected Tuesday by Lieutenant-General Joseph Mutombo Katalayi, linked Kabila to the resurgence of the M23 rebellion successful eastbound Congo, allegedly backed by Rwanda.

“In applying Article 7 of the Military Penal Code, it imposes a azygous sentence, namely the astir terrible one, which is the decease penalty,” Katalayi declared portion pronouncing the judgment.

The tribunal recovered Kabila blameworthy of murder, intersexual assault, torture, and insurrection. He was besides ordered to wage astir $50 cardinal successful damages to the authorities and victims.

Kabila, who ruled Congo from 2001 to 2019, did not be the proceedings and had nary ineligible representation. His whereabouts stay unclear, though helium has been reported to reside successful South Africa since 2023. He was past seen publically successful May successful Goma, a rebel-held metropolis successful eastbound Congo. Neither helium nor his aides were instantly disposable for comment.

The verdict is apt to deepen governmental and societal divisions successful the mineral-rich cardinal African nation, which has been plagued by decades of equipped conflicts and instability.

Kabila, who stepped down successful 2019 pursuing wide protests against his extended enactment successful power, initially struck a power-sharing statement with his successor, President Félix Tshisekedi. However, relations betwixt the 2 men rapidly deteriorated.

Tshisekedi has repeatedly accused his predecessor of backing the M23 rebellion. Speaking astatine the Munich Security Conference successful February, helium alleged that “Kabila had sponsored the insurgency” arsenic the radical precocious connected Bukavu, Congo’s second-largest eastbound city.

The M23 rebel radical presently controls ample parts of North Kivu and South Kivu provinces. Fighting this twelvemonth unsocial has claimed thousands of lives and displaced hundreds of thousands. Although a U.S.-brokered bid woody was signed successful June, some sides proceed to impeach each different of violating the agreement.

Rwanda, often accused of backing M23, has denied the allegations, insisting its forces lone enactment successful self-defence against Congolese troops and Hutu militias linked to the 1994 Rwandan genocide.

In the aftermath of the tribunal ruling, Tshisekedi’s authorities has moved to suspend Kabila’s governmental enactment and prehend assets belonging to its top leaders.