Kinshasa, DRC | In a dramatic and unprecedented ruling, a military court in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has sentenced former President Joseph Kabila to death in absentia after finding him guilty of war crimes, treason, and crimes against humanity. The verdict marks one of the most consequential moments in modern African political history, sending tremors through the heart of the Central African nation and across the continent.
The court’s decision, delivered on Monday, follows weeks of tense hearings that detailed gruesome allegations of killings, torture, rape, and mass displacement carried out under Kabila’s 18-year regime. Prosecutors accused the former head of state of colluding with foreign militias, enabling atrocities in the country’s conflict-ridden eastern provinces, and betraying the sovereignty of the Congolese people.
According to the prosecution, Kabila’s actions “amounted to the systematic destruction of the nation’s moral and social fabric,” arguing that only the maximum penalty death could reflect the gravity of his crimes.
Kabila, who did not appear in court, has denied all charges, with his legal team calling the trial a political witch-hunt aimed at removing him permanently from the DRC’s political landscape. His lawyers condemned the verdict as a “judicial coup,” insisting that the proceedings lacked transparency and violated due process.
The ruling comes months after Kabila’s parliamentary immunity was lifted, paving the way for his prosecution. Observers say the case could reshape the DRC’s fragile political order, where Kabila still enjoys influence among parts of the security apparatus and the ruling elite.
Analysts fear that the sentence may ignite new instability, particularly in the volatile eastern regions, where multiple armed factions operate and allegiances remain fluid. “This verdict could reopen old wounds,” warned one political commentator in Kinshasa. “For many, Kabila remains both a symbol of authority and controversy.”
International human rights groups have also weighed in, expressing concern about the fairness of the proceedings and questioning the enforceability of a death sentence against an absent defendant. The United Nations and several African Union observers have called for calm, urging the Congolese government to ensure respect for legal standards amid rising political tension.
For a country still wrestling with the scars of decades-long conflict and corruption, the conviction of a former president sends a powerful yet polarising signal that no one, not even a head of state, is above the law.
Whether Kabila will ever face the guillotine remains uncertain. But one thing is clear: the verdict has redrawn the political fault lines of the DRC, ushering in a new and unpredictable chapter in its tumultuous history.
