Written By Lisa Murimi
A military court in Kinshasa has sentenced former Democratic Republic of Congo president Joseph Kabila to death in absentia, convicting him of treason, war crimes, crimes against humanity, murder, sexual assault, torture, and insurrection.
The verdict, delivered Tuesday by Lieutenant-General Joseph Mutombo Katalayi, marks the most severe judicial ruling against Kabila since he left power in 2019.
Kabila, who ruled the DRC for nearly two decades, stepped down following deadly protests. Once a powerful figure in Congo’s post-war era, he has lived mainly in South Africa since 2023, though his surprise visit to Goma earlier this year reignited debate over his political influence.
“Justice has spoken,” Mutombo Katalayi declared as he read the judgment, stressing that Kabila’s alleged crimes had left “deep scars on the Congolese people.”
The ruling exposes deep fractures in Congolese politics while raising questions over enforcement and international repercussions.
South Africa, where Kabila resides, abolished the death penalty decades ago, and it remains unclear whether Kinshasa will push for his extradition.
Supporters of the judgment hailed it as long-overdue justice for violent crackdowns on political opponents under Kabila’s rule.
Critics, however, dismissed the trial as politicized, warning it could further destabilize a country already burdened by rebel violence in eastern provinces, corruption scandals, and humanitarian crises.
Kabila inherited power in 2001 after the assassination of his father, Laurent-Désiré Kabila. His supporters credit him with holding together Africa’s second-largest nation, while detractors accuse him of entrenched corruption and systemic brutality.
As of Tuesday evening, Joseph Kabila had not issued a public response to the sentence.
