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Authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) are moving to strip former President Joseph Kabila of his legal immunity, accusing him of backing the M23 rebel group that has seized parts of the country’s conflict-ridden east.
On Wednesday, Justice Minister Constant Mutamba said there was “a substantial body of documents, testimony, and material facts” linking Kabila to the insurgents. The military prosecutor has formally requested the Senate to revoke Kabila’s lifetime immunity, granted to him as a senator for life after he stepped down in 2019.
The 53-year-old former leader, who ruled DR Congo for 18 years, has not responded to the latest allegations but has previously denied any ties to M23.
Kabila has been living in South Africa since 2023, officially to pursue a doctoral degree. However, tensions reignited after he announced plans last month to return to help resolve the eastern conflict — a move met with both anticipation and suspicion. Rumors of his presence in Goma, an M23-held city, were swiftly denied by his party, the People’s Party for Reconstruction and Democracy (PPRD).
Authorities later banned the PPRD, citing its “ambiguous attitude” toward M23’s occupation of Congolese territory.
Justice Minister Mutamba, who recently ordered the seizure of Kabila’s assets, said the former president should “return and face justice… and present his defence.”
The situation comes amid flickers of diplomacy. DR Congo and Rwanda, long accused of backing opposing sides in the conflict, signed a preliminary agreement in Washington last week. A draft peace deal is expected by Friday.
The M23, one of many armed groups in the mineral-rich east, has displaced hundreds of thousands of civilians this year alone. Rwanda has consistently denied supporting the rebels.
Joseph Kabila rose to power in 2001, following the assassination of his father, Laurent Kabila. He twice won elections, but controversially remained in power two years beyond his constitutional mandate, sparking deadly protests. In 2019, he handed over power to Félix Tshisekedi following a contested election widely believed to have been manipulated to sideline opposition candidate Martin Fayulu.
While once allied, Kabila and Tshisekedi’s parties split in 2020, with relations deteriorating since.
Kabila earned his doctoral degree earlier this year in geopolitics from the University of Johannesburg, focusing on Africa’s strategic relations with the US, China, and Russia.
