Former DRC President Joseph Kabila Sentenced To Death For Treason And War Crimes

Former DRC President Joseph Kabila Sentenced To Death

Former Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) President Joseph Kabila has been sentenced to death for treason, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. The dramatic ruling was announced on Friday, 27 September 2025, by a military court in Kinshasa.

The court delivered the sentence in absentia, after Kabila failed to appear and defend himself against the charges.

Courtroom Bombshell

According to the BBC, judges found Kabila guilty of backing rebellion, orchestrating insurrection, and overseeing crimes that included murder, torture, and sexual violence.

The man who once held the nation’s highest office branded the case a sham.

He said:

“This case is arbitrary. The courts are being used as an instrument of oppression.”

The former head of state’s whereabouts remain unknown, with speculation rife that he may have slipped out of the country.

M23 Rebel Allegations

At the centre of the case are explosive claims that Kabila secretly supported the M23 rebels, a group that has unleashed terror in the mineral-rich east of the country.

President Félix Tshisekedi directly linked Kabila to the rebellion, insisting his predecessor was “the brains behind the M23”.

Kabila’s May 2025 visit to Goma, then under rebel control, only fuelled suspicion. Just weeks earlier, he had announced that he wanted to help end the conflict.

His trip was followed by senators stripping him of his legal immunity, setting the stage for the trial that has now ended with a death sentence.

Eastern Congo In Flames

The conflict in the east has spiralled this year, with M23 fighters capturing major cities including Goma and Bukavu, as well as two strategic airports. Their advance handed them control over trade routes in one of the most resource-rich corners of the world.

The United Nations and several Western powers accused Rwanda of funnelling weapons, intelligence, and troops to M23. Kigali has firmly denied the allegations, saying it is only protecting its own borders.

A ceasefire was signed in July 2025, but fighting rages on. Reports of killings, forced displacements, and human rights abuses continue to emerge from the conflict zone.

Kabila, who assumed the presidency in 2001 at the age of 29 after the assassination of his father Laurent, stayed in power for 18 turbulent years. His fall from the presidency in 2019, his self-imposed exile in 2023, and now his sentencing to death, mark one of the most dramatic downfalls in modern African politics.

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