Turmoil in the DRC As Former President Joseph Kabila Sentenced to Death
Natalie Nyathi
Joseph Kabila, the former president of the Democratic Republic of Congo, has been sentenced to death in absentia by a military court. This decision was made on September 30, 2025, after he was found guilty of treason, war crimes, and crimes against humanity for his alleged support of the M23 rebel group.
The trial took place without Kabila, who has been living in self-imposed exile since 2023. His political party claims the trial was politically motivated. The prosecution used video evidence and witness testimonies to accuse Kabila of being the leader of the AFC/M23 coalition and of taking part in serious crimes in the eastern provinces of North Kivu and South Kivu, including murder, torture, and sexual assault.
The M23 group, mostly made up of Tutsi fighters, has been active in eastern DRC for years, taking control of land and causing many people to flee. The group’s return in 2021 has made the situation in the region worse. The Congolese government has accused Rwanda of backing the M23, which Rwanda denies. In January 2025, the M23 captured Goma, the capital of North Kivu, worsening tensions between the DRC and Rwanda.
Along with the death sentence, the court ordered Kabila to pay about $33 billion in damages, mostly to the Congolese state and some to the provinces of North Kivu and South Kivu. It is unclear how the court plans to arrest him, as Kabila’s current location is not known. He was last seen in Goma, where he criticized President Félix Tshisekedi’s government.
The DRC lifted its ban on the death penalty in 2024, but no executions have happened since. Kabila’s sentence is a significant moment in the country’s troubled history, but it raises fears of more instability and division. Some experts think the sentence is meant to stop Kabila from uniting opposition groups.
This situation is part of a larger conflict in eastern DRC, which has created a humanitarian crisis and political tensions with Rwanda. Even with a peace agreement signed in June 2025, fighting continues, and both sides accuse each other of breaking the agreement. President Tshisekedi, who took over from Kabila in 2019, has faced many challenges, including trying to strengthen his power and address human rights issues. The sentencing of Kabila adds more complexity to an already difficult situation.
