DR Congo Military Court Sentences Ex-President Kabila to Death for Treason, Crimes Amid Tensions

Joseph Kabila, the former president of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), has been sentenced to death in absentia by a military court on charges including treason, war crimes, murder, sexual assault, and complicity with the M23 rebel militia. The court also ordered Kabila to pay billions in damages to the state and eastern provinces affected by the M23 insurgency. Kabila has denied all allegations, labeling the judiciary and current government under President Félix Tshisekedi as politically motivated and dictatorial. The M23 rebellion, which has seized significant territory in eastern Congo, condemned the death sentence as a politically driven violation of international norms, further complicating the fragile political and security situation in the country. Kabila's recent political resurgence and mediation attempts in rebel-held territories have heightened tensions, with his sentence likely to deepen instability in the conflict-ridden DRC. This unprecedented ruling against a former head of state reflects the ongoing turmoil and power struggles within the mineral-rich nation.