DRC Military Court Sentences Former President Joseph Kabila to Death in Absentia

October 1,2025

 A military tribunal in the Democratic Republic of the Congo convicted former President Joseph Kabila of treason and crimes against humanity on Tuesday, sentencing him to death in absentia in a verdict that marks a dramatic escalation in the country's political turmoil.

Lieutenant General Joseph Mutombo Katalayi, presiding over the military court, announced that Kabila had been found guilty of multiple charges including treason, crimes against humanity, murder, sexual assault, torture, and insurrection.

"In applying Article 7 of the Military Penal Code, it imposes a single sentence, namely the most severe one, which is the death penalty," Katalayi said while delivering the verdict.

Trial Held Without Defense

Kabila, who governed the mineral-rich Central African nation from 2001 to 2019, did not attend the proceedings that began in July. He was not represented by legal counsel during the trial. The former president has dismissed the case against him as politically motivated, calling the courts "an instrument of oppression."

The charges stem from allegations that Kabila supported the M23 rebel group, which has seized large swaths of territory in eastern DRC this year. The Rwanda-backed militia has been at the center of escalating regional tensions, though Rwanda continues to deny providing military support despite United Nations experts saying its army played a "critical" role in M23's offensive.

Military prosecutor General Lucien Rene Likulia had demanded the death penalty, accusing Kabila of plotting to overthrow current President Felix Tshisekedi. Additional charges of homicide, torture, and rape were linked to M23 activities.

Political Implications

Despite the sentence, Kabila's arrest appears unlikely in the near term. His current whereabouts remain unknown, though he was last seen in May visiting Goma in eastern DRC, an area now controlled by M23 forces.

Political observers suggest the death sentence serves primarily to eliminate the possibility of Kabila uniting opposition forces within the country. In May, the DRC Senate voted to strip him of immunity from prosecution, a move the former president denounced as dictatorial.

An appeal is possible before the Court of Cassation, though only on procedural grounds rather than the merits of the case itself.

Death Penalty Reinstated

The DRC lifted its moratorium on capital punishment last year, though no judicial executions have been carried out since the policy change.

Regional Peace Efforts

The verdict comes as violence continues in eastern DRC despite diplomatic efforts to broker peace. A peace agreement between the Congolese and Rwandan governments was signed in Washington in June, and a declaration supporting a permanent ceasefire with M23 was signed in Qatar in July.

However, NGOs report ongoing abuses against civilians, including summary executions, gang rapes, and kidnappings. A UN investigation in September found that all parties to the conflict may have committed war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Neither Kabila nor his representatives have issued immediate comment on Tuesday's verdict.