Kabila faces treason trial after Congo Senate lifts his immunity
Kabila, who ruled between 2001 and 2019, did not attend the session to respond to the charges.
Joseph Kabila is set to face prosecution for alleged treason and war crimes after the Democratic Republic of Congo’s senate voted to strip him of immunity, marking a dramatic shift for the country’s former president.
Lawmakers said there is a "substantial body of documents, testimony and material facts" linking Kabila to the M23 rebel group that has seized parts of eastern Congo.
The Senate vote saw nearly 90 members backing the move, with only five opposing it.
"The Senate authorises the prosecution and lifting of Joseph Kabila’s immunity," said Senate speaker Jean-Michel Sama Lukonde after Thursday’s vote.
Kabila, who ruled between 2001 and 2019, did not attend the session to respond to the charges.
The former president became a lifetime senator after leaving office, a title that had protected him from prosecution until now.
The military prosecutor formally requested the senate to lift this status in order to proceed with the charges.
Authorities accuse Kabila of backing M23 rebels in the conflict-hit east, where the group has taken over several mineral-rich towns.
Justice Minister Rose Mutamba ordered the seizure of Kabila’s assets and demanded that he return to the country to answer to the charges.
"He should face justice… and present his defence," the minister said.
Kabila has lived in South Africa for the past two years. Early last month, he announced plans to return and help solve the crisis in eastern Congo.
Reports later claimed he had returned and was in Goma, but his party, the People’s Party for Reconstruction and Democracy (PPRD), denied those reports.
The PPRD was recently banned by the government over what it termed an "ambiguous attitude" toward the M23 takeover.
The party has strongly rejected the charges against its leader, describing them as “pure theatre” meant to distract the public from more pressing issues.
Analysts warn that putting Kabila on trial could further inflame tensions in a country that has struggled with rebel violence for over a decade.
The M23 group first launched its rebellion in 2012 and has recently resurged, taking new ground despite international efforts to end the conflict.
