The treason trial of Joseph Kabila, the former president of the Democratic Republic of Congo, has commenced in a military court in Kinshasa, the nation’s capital.
Mr. Kabila is also facing accusations of murder and rape, allegations connected to his purported support for the M23 rebels, who currently control a significant portion of the mineral-rich eastern region of the country. He refutes these charges and was not present at the hearing.
President Félix Tshisekedi, Kabila’s successor, has accused the former leader of orchestrating the rebel activities.
Mr. Kabila has dismissed the case as “arbitrary,” asserting that the courts are being manipulated as an “instrument of oppression.”
While a ceasefire agreement between the government and the rebels was reached last week, reports indicate that fighting has persisted.
After residing outside the country for two years, Mr. Kabila returned to Goma, a rebel-held city in eastern DR Congo, in May, ending his self-imposed exile in South Africa.
Citing substantial evidence, the UN and several Western nations have accused neighboring Rwanda of supporting the M23 and deploying thousands of its soldiers into DR Congo. Kigali denies these accusations, stating that its actions are aimed at preventing the conflict from spilling over into its territory.
In May, the upper house of the legislature revoked Mr. Kabila’s lifetime senatorial immunity to allow for his prosecution on charges that encompass treason, murder, involvement in an insurrectionist movement, and the forceful occupation of Goma.
Mr. Kabila, 53, governed DR Congo for 18 years, succeeding his father, Laurent, who was assassinated in 2001. Joseph Kabila was 29 years old at the time.
He transferred power to President Félix Tshisekedi following a contested election in 2019, but their relationship subsequently deteriorated.
In a now-deleted YouTube video released in May, Mr. Kabila criticized the Congolese government, labeling it a “dictatorship” and citing a “decline of democracy” in the nation.
At the time, Congolese government spokesperson Patrick Muyaya refuted Kabila’s allegations, asserting that he had “nothing to offer the country.”
Prior to Friday’s trial, Ferdinand Kambere, a close associate of Mr. Kabila and a member of his now-banned PPRD party, accused the government of “double standards.” He argued that the government was overly lenient in its peace agreement but excessively harsh towards Kabila, suggesting that the trial was a strategy to exclude Kabila from the country’s political landscape.
However, as the trial commenced, Congolese Deputy Justice Minister Samuel Mbemba issued a stern warning to any detractors.
“Justice does not negotiate, it does not join in dialogue. The calendar for justice is different from the political calendar.”
Additional reporting by Damian Zane and Cecilia Macaulay
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