On Friday, August 22, 2025, in a move that has sent shockwaves through the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and beyond, the country’s public prosecutor demanded the death penalty for former President Joseph Kabila. Tried in absentia, Kabila faces an array of charges—treason, war crimes, organizing an insurrection, and a litany of atrocities allegedly tied to his support for the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group. The trial, unfolding in the capital but with deep reverberations in the conflict-ridden east, marks a pivotal moment in Congolese political and judicial history.
General Lucien René Likulia, representing the prosecution, stood before the court and called on the judges to "condemn Kabila to death for war crimes, treason and organizing an insurrection," as reported by AFP and the Associated Press. The general further demanded a 20-year sentence for Kabila’s alleged condoning of war crimes and an additional 15 years for conspiracy—though he offered little elaboration on the specifics of these counts. No date has been set for the verdict, and Kabila’s current whereabouts remain unknown.
Kabila, who led the DRC from 2001 to 2019, has been outside the country since 2023, living in self-imposed exile until his dramatic return to the rebel-held city of Goma in April 2025. His arrival came just months after M23 fighters, long accused of receiving Rwandan military support, captured Goma in a swift offensive. In May, Kabila was seen meeting with local religious leaders in Goma, accompanied by M23’s spokesman Lawrence Kanyuka, according to AFP. The charge sheet against him lists not only the "forcible occupation of the city of Goma" but also alleges that he plotted to overthrow President Felix Tshisekedi, his successor, and orchestrated crimes including homicide, torture, and rape linked to the M23 group.
The accusations don’t stop there. Prosecutors describe Kabila as "one of the initiators of the Congo River Alliance" (AFC), which serves as the M23’s political arm, and accuse him of colluding with Rwanda to "overthrow by force the power established by law." The charge sheet further holds him responsible for atrocities committed by the movement in the mineral-rich North and South Kivu provinces, where violence has plagued communities for decades.
President Tshisekedi has not minced words, branding Kabila "the brains behind the armed group" that has seized large swathes of eastern Congo with what he alleges is Rwandan backing. Rwanda, for its part, has consistently denied providing military support to M23. Yet, as the BBC notes, United Nations experts have found that Rwanda’s army played a "critical" role in the group’s offensive—a point that continues to fuel regional tensions and international concern.
Kabila, for his part, has fiercely denounced the trial. "The courts are an instrument of oppression," he declared, dismissing the proceedings as politically motivated. His supporters have echoed this sentiment, with Ferdinand Kambere—a former minister under Kabila and current head of his party, the PPRD—telling the Associated Press, "What we saw was truly a disgrace for the Republic." Kambere argued that revoking Kabila’s immunity as senator-for-life in May was the beginning of a campaign against the former president.
Others have questioned the motivations behind the prosecution. Henry-Pacifique Mayala, a researcher and coordinator of the Kivu Security Tracker, told the Associated Press that the prosecution’s demands seem to be "more of a settling of scores session than a quest for truth." This skepticism is echoed by the AFC and M23’s executive secretary Benjamin Mbonimpa, who, speaking to journalists in Goma in July, distanced the movement from Kabila and dismissed his trial as part of a "malevolent strategy" against him.
The DRC lifted its moratorium on the death penalty in 2024, ending a decades-long suspension. Despite this, no judicial executions have been carried out since the moratorium was lifted, leaving open questions about whether the ultimate penalty will actually be enforced even if the court rules against Kabila. The country’s legal system, long criticized for its lack of independence and susceptibility to political influence, finds itself under intense scrutiny as this high-profile case unfolds.
Kabila’s journey to this moment is itself a saga. He took office at the tender age of 29 in 2001, after his father, former President Laurent Kabila, was assassinated. During his nearly two decades in power, Joseph Kabila extended his mandate by delaying elections for two years after his term officially ended in 2017, a move that sparked widespread protests and accusations of authoritarianism. Even after leaving office, Kabila’s influence on Congolese political life has endured, and he has not hesitated to criticize President Tshisekedi’s government, labeling it a "dictatorship."
For more than thirty years, eastern DRC has been ravaged by conflict among various armed groups, with millions displaced and countless lives lost. The M23’s resurgence in 2021 reignited violence, leading to the capture of major cities and towns in the east in recent months. The charge sheet against Kabila alleges that his support for the rebels directly contributed to the latest wave of bloodshed—a claim he and his allies vigorously deny.
The trial has exposed deep fissures within Congolese society and politics. Supporters of Kabila argue that the proceedings are nothing more than a political witch hunt, designed to silence a formidable rival and distract from the government’s own failings. Critics, meanwhile, see the trial as a long-overdue reckoning for a leader they accuse of enabling violence and undermining democracy.
International observers are watching closely. The involvement of Rwanda, though officially denied by Kigali, remains a source of regional instability. UN reports have pointed to direct Rwandan military intervention in support of the M23, complicating efforts to broker peace and raising the stakes for all parties involved. The DRC’s mineral-rich east, coveted for its vast resources, continues to be a battleground for both domestic and foreign actors.
As the trial continues, the Congolese public—and indeed the world—waits to see whether justice, as defined by the courts, will be served. Will the case set a precedent for accountability at the highest levels, or will it deepen the cycle of political retribution that has long haunted the DRC? For now, with no verdict date set and Kabila’s location unknown, the outcome remains uncertain.
The story of Joseph Kabila’s trial is not just about one man’s fate. It’s a window into the ongoing struggle for power, justice, and peace in a nation that has endured more than its share of turmoil. As the proceedings move forward, the stakes—for Congo and the region—could hardly be higher.
