The High Military Court of Kinshasa is expected to deliver its verdict on Tuesday in the high-profile trial of former Congolese President Joseph Kabila, who faces severe charges including treason and war crimes.
The ruling, which was previously postponed, will address the prosecution’s central accusation that Kabila masterminded atrocities—including killings, rapes, and deportations—committed by the AFC/M23 rebels in the eastern DRC. During closing arguments, Prosecutor General Lucien René Likulia called for the death penalty against the former head of state, along with a request for the immediate freezing of Kabila’s assets and an order to pay over $24 billion in damages sought by the civil parties.
Kabila, who denies any connection to the M23, left the country in 2023 but returned in May 2025 after the Senate lifted his parliamentary immunity, enabling the proceedings. Though conducted in absentia, the trial has garnered significant domestic and international attention, with his entourage branding the prosecution as politically motivated. Tuesday’s decision is set to be a historic moment for the country’s judicial system.
AC/sf/lb/abj/APA