Military Auditor Seeks Death Penalty for Former Congo President Kabila

By The Inspirer.

Congo’s military auditor general has formally requested the death penalty for former President Joseph Kabila, who is being tried in absentia for alleged war crimes, including homicide, rape, and torture.

Kabila, who ruled for nearly two decades before stepping down in 2018, has been living abroad since late 2023, primarily in South Africa. He was last seen in public in rebel-held areas of eastern Congo, a region long plagued by violence and instability.

He faces charges related to crimes against humanity, including involvement in massacres of civilians. General Likulia Lucien Rene, the military auditor, told the high court that the prosecution seeks the death penalty for homicide, rape, deportation, and torture, among other alleged offenses.

In April, Kabila announced plans to return to Congo to support peace efforts in the war-torn east. Shortly afterward, the government banned his political party and seized his assets. In May, the Senate voted to lift Kabila’s immunity from prosecution, and he later met with religious leaders in the rebel-controlled east.

The ongoing crisis escalated in January when M23 rebels, reportedly backed by Rwanda, seized parts of mineral-rich eastern Congo.

Ferdinand Kambere, secretary of Kabila’s party, condemned the charges, calling them “an act of relentlessness and persecution against a member of the opposition,” Reuters reported.

Source: Reuters