On October 15, 2025, the political landscape of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) was jolted as former president Joseph Kabila appeared in public for the first time since receiving a death sentence in absentia for treason and war crimes. His reemergence, not in his home country but in Nairobi, Kenya, has set off a wave of diplomatic ripples and ignited fierce debate about Congo’s future, the legitimacy of its justice system, and the role of exiled leaders in shaping national destiny.
Kabila, who ruled the DRC from 2001 to 2019 after the assassination of his father Laurent Kabila, was filmed at a ceremony in Kenya’s capital. There, he stood shoulder to shoulder with about a dozen other Congolese opposition leaders, all united in their opposition to President Félix Tshisekedi. The gathering was more than symbolic; it culminated in the signing of a declaration to create a new political movement. According to the BBC, the group’s stated mission is to rally “all Congolese people opposed to the dictatorship” and to “end the tyranny, restore state authority, reestablish democracy and promote national reconciliation.”
The Congolese government in Kinshasa, however, has dismissed the Nairobi meeting as a “non-event” and derided its participants as “fugitives and convicts.” As reported by the Associated Press, government spokesman Patrick Muyaya was quick to criticize the gathering, especially given Kabila’s recent conviction. The government’s frustration is compounded by Kenya’s decision to host such a high-profile assembly of Congolese dissidents at a time when relations between the two countries are already strained. Congolese officials have repeatedly accused Kenya of sympathizing with the M23 rebel group, a Rwanda-backed force that seized several towns in eastern Congo’s mineral-rich region earlier this year.
The backdrop to this diplomatic tension is dramatic. On September 30, 2025, a high military court in Kinshasa sentenced Kabila to death in absentia on charges of treason and war crimes, specifically for allegedly collaborating with Rwanda and the M23 rebels. The M23, notorious for a lightning assault that captured key cities in January, has been a persistent thorn in the side of the Congolese government. Kabila’s political party, the People’s Party for Reconstruction and Democracy (PPRD), has condemned the verdict as politically motivated. “The sentence is a politically motivated attempt to silence him,” the party stated, as cited by the Associated Press.
Kabila himself has consistently denied any collaboration with the rebels, but his stance is complicated. In a February 2025 opinion piece published in South Africa’s Sunday Times, he expressed sympathy for the grievances that fuel the M23’s campaign. While stopping short of admitting direct support, Kabila’s words have been seized upon by his critics as evidence of his involvement. The Congolese government, for its part, has gone further, accusing him of being the mastermind behind the group’s resurgence and stripping him of legal immunity, which paved the way for his prosecution.
The Nairobi meeting was not just about Kabila. Among the attendees was former Prime Minister Augustin Matata Ponyo, who himself was sentenced to a decade in prison for corruption earlier this year. The declaration signed by the opposition leaders and civil society groups was sweeping in its ambitions. It called on Congolese from “every corner and crevice” of the country to unite for daily actions to “save the DR Congo.” The 14-point manifesto denounced “arbitrary detention of political leaders” and “unfair judgments handed down by courts and tribunals against opposition leaders,” vowing to launch a diplomatic offensive to alert the international community to the crisis engulfing the DRC.
Criticism of President Tshisekedi’s administration was sharp and multifaceted. The opposition leaders lambasted the government’s rejection of inclusive dialogue and what they described as poor economic governance. They accused Tshisekedi of failing to enact policies to address urgent public needs, despite having full control of state power. The timing of the Nairobi meeting was also notable, coinciding with a ceasefire monitoring agreement signed in Doha between the Congolese government and the M23. Both sides have since accused each other of violating the deal, underscoring the fragility of peace in the region.
Kabila’s journey to this moment has been anything but straightforward. He assumed power at just 29, following his father’s assassination in 2001. His nearly two-decade rule was marked by both progress and controversy. In 2017, Kabila delayed elections beyond his constitutional term limit, triggering widespread unrest. Eventually, he stepped down, paving the way for Félix Tshisekedi’s election in 2019—the first peaceful transfer of power since Congo gained independence from Belgium in 1960. Initially, the two leaders entered a power-sharing agreement, but the alliance quickly soured as Kabila’s coalition retained significant influence over parliament and key institutions. Tensions escalated until Kabila fled the country earlier this year, entering self-imposed exile.
Since May 2025, Kabila’s whereabouts had been a mystery. According to the BBC, he was last seen in the M23-held city of Goma before resurfacing in Nairobi this week. His reappearance has reignited debate within Congo and across Africa about the role of former leaders in exile, the use of courts to settle political scores, and the long shadow cast by rebel movements in shaping national politics.
The Congolese government’s response to Kabila’s Nairobi appearance has been to double down on its accusations and warn of diplomatic repercussions for Kenya. For its part, Kenya’s foreign ministry has so far declined to comment on the controversy, even as it faces criticism from Kinshasa for allegedly providing a platform for opposition figures linked to armed groups.
Meanwhile, the new opposition alliance is gearing up for what it promises will be a sustained campaign to “rescue Congo’s democracy.” Whether this movement will gain traction among ordinary Congolese—many of whom are weary from years of conflict, political infighting, and economic hardship—remains to be seen. Yet, as Kabila and his allies attempt to reshape the narrative from exile, the stakes for Congo’s future could not be higher.
This week’s events have thrown the DRC’s political crisis into sharp relief, with old grievances and new alliances converging at a critical juncture. For now, Joseph Kabila’s reappearance in Nairobi is both a symbol and a catalyst—an unmistakable sign that the battle for Congo’s soul is far from over.