Exiled former D R Congo President picks a death penalty for involvement in Rwanda backed rebel group in the eastern part of his country
The Kinshasa Military High court in the Democratic Republic of Congo has sentenced former president Joseph Kabila to a death penalty this Tuesday 30th September 2025. Kabila fourth president to have ruled the immensely natural resources rich central African nation from 2001 to 2019 was condemned to death in absentia for war crime and treason. The former president who now lives in exile was accused of working in collaboration with the Rwanda backed M23 rebel group that has been fighting against the Etienne Tshisekedi regime in Kivu from the east of the country since 2021.
State prosecutor, Lieutenant General Jean-Rene Likulia slammed him the sentence after the court has been deliberating for close to four years on the matter and finally found him guilty in relation to the following charges; treason, participation in an insurrectional movement, crime against the peace and security of humanity, international homicide by gunfire, rape, torture, deportation, occupation of part of the Easten DR Congo. The death penalty was followed by a fine of 33 billion dollars to be paid to the Congolese government as damage and, the provinces of North and South Kivu, and to victim support organizations.
Born June 4th 1971, the 54 years old Joseph Kabila Kabange succeeded his father Lauren Desire Kabila after his assassination in 2001 and ruled the Democratic Republic of Congo for 18 years, becoming the second longest serving president after Mobutu Sese SeKo Kukumbendu Wazabanga. After his turn of office, Kabila was made senator for life in his country since March 2019.
The conviction of a former Congolese head of state by a military court marks a real turning point in the country’s political history of the DR Congo. The eastern region of this country ravaged by 30 years of conflict and recently marked by the rise of armed groups supported by Rwanda, remains highly unstable.
