Keypoints:
- DRC Senate removes Kabila’s immunity
- Ex-president accused of M23 rebel links
- Government moves to seize party assets
JOSEPH Kabila, former president of the Democratic Republic of Congo, has lost his legal immunity following a decisive vote by the country’s Senate, paving the way for potential charges over alleged links to the M23 rebel group and accusations of crimes against humanity.
In a late-night session on Thursday, the Senate voted 88 to 5 in favour of lifting Kabila’s immunity in a secret ballot, according to details reported by Agence France-Presse (AFP).
Kabila, who stepped down from office in 2018 after nearly two decades in power, is accused by Congolese authorities of backing the M23 insurgency in eastern DRC, including alleged involvement in massacres of civilians and armed personnel.
Government targets Kabila’s political network
Alongside the Senate vote, the government has initiated measures to suspend Kabila’s political party and freeze the assets of its senior leaders, intensifying its crackdown on what it claims is collusion with armed groups destabilising the east.
Kabila denies all allegations and maintains that he has no ties to M23. He has been living outside the DRC since late 2023, mostly in South Africa.
Return offer as crisis worsens
Despite the legal pressure, Kabila has floated the idea of returning to Congo to assist in resolving the escalating conflict in North Kivu, where M23 rebels now hold large swathes of territory.
International interest in the region is growing. US President Donald Trump’s senior adviser for Africa, Massad Boulos, told Reuters earlier this month that Washington is pushing for a peace agreement between Kinshasa and the rebels to be signed this summer. The deal is expected to include major mineral contracts aimed at drawing billions in Western investment to the troubled region.
From reformer to fugitive?
Kabila rose to power in 2001 after the assassination of his father, Laurent-Désiré Kabila. His early tenure was marked by reformist rhetoric, but his refusal to leave office when his constitutional term ended in 2016 sparked deadly unrest. He eventually stepped aside after the disputed 2018 elections.
The Senate’s vote now threatens to unravel his political legacy entirely, with legal proceedings expected to follow swiftly.
