By KT Reporter
The March 23 Movement (M23) rebels have condemned the death sentence declared against former Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) President Joseph Kabila Kabange. Kabila was sentenced to death in absentia on Tuesday evening by a high military court after pleading guilty to 120 charges, including war crimes, rape, murder, treason, conspiracy, and condoning acts of war crimes.
The court also ordered him to pay 33 billion US dollars in damages to the Congolese state. Judges ruled that although Kabila is a former president, he has always been the undisputed leader of the country’s rebel movements since the Mutebusi rebellion. They claimed he conducts inspections of M23 training centers, supervises rebel headquarters meetings, and directs hostilities against the DRC.
The court described the cases against him as extremely serious, saying they scandalize millions of Congolese people and violate his duty of loyalty to the state. In response, M23 President Bertrand Bisimwa released a statement Wednesday morning condemning the ruling. He said the death sentence against Kabila under the pretext of links to the AFC/M23 violates the group’s Declaration of Principles and reflects the persistence of armed offensives by the Kinshasa regime.
“The AFC/M23 has never been mistaken about the man opposite and his game,” Bisimwa said. Kabila has not yet personally reacted to the ruling. However, in April this year, the DRC government launched legal proceedings against him following his visit to Goma—currently under M23 control.
The government also ordered the seizure of his properties and suspended all activities of the People’s Party for Reconstruction and Development (PPRD), for which Kabila is the moral authority. Several senior PPRD officials were arrested over alleged links to M23. Last year, M23 rebels announced Kabila’s official arrival in Goma, where he has since been seen engaging with religious leaders and M23 commanders. Kabila, who led the DRC for 18 years, has been in exile since 2023.
The ongoing standoff between the Kinshasa government and M23 raises doubts about the success of the Qatar peace talks. M23 currently controls large parts of North and South Kivu provinces, where conflict flared again in 2022. The DRC government continues to accuse Rwanda of backing M23, a claim both Rwanda and the rebels deny. M23 insists it is fighting corruption, xenophobia, and discrimination within the
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