Former Democratic Republic of Congo president Joseph Kabila was sentenced to death in absentia by a military court that convicted him of war crimes, treason and crimes against humanity.

Kinshasa

A military court in the Democratic Republic of Congo has sentenced former president Joseph Kabila to death in absentia, convicting him of war crimes, treason, and crimes against humanity. The court also ordered Kabila to pay approximately $50 billion in damages to the state and victims, citing his alleged support for the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels in the country's eastern region.

Kabila, who led Congo from 2001 to 2019, was neither present at the trial nor represented by legal counsel. He has denied any wrongdoing and claims the judiciary is politicized. The verdict has drawn mixed responses, with some hailing it as a victory for justice, while others question its impact on the ongoing conflict in eastern Congo, where M23 rebels continue to control significant territory.

Congo's ex-president Joseph Kabila sentenced to death in absentia

The Democratic Republic of Congo's former president, Joseph Kabila, was sentenced to death in absentia on Tuesday by a military court. He was convicted of war crimes, treason and crimes against humanity, and also ordered to pay around $50 billion in various damages to the state and victims. The case stems from his alleged role in supporting the advance of Rwanda-backed M23 rebels in Congo's volatile east. Rwanda, which has long denied helping M23, says its forces act in self-defense against Congo's army and ethnic Hutu militia men linked to the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Kabila, who led Congo from 2001 to 2019, has denied wrongdoing and says the judiciary has been politicized. He was not present for the trial and was also unrepresented by legal counsel. Neither he nor his representatives were immediately available for comment, and his current whereabouts are not known. Lawyer Richard Bondo hailed the result as a victory for the country. We are satisfied because justice has been served. So, the justice rendered in the name of the Congolese people gives satisfaction to these people. Given that the defendant, Kabila, mastermind of all rebel movements, all insurgents and all Rwandan aggression, he, as the mastermind, has just been sentenced to capital punishment. Some residents of Congo's rebel-occupied eastern city of Bukavu did not share that sentiment. This resident pointed out that the trial had cost the public millions and questioned whether Kabila's conviction would truly bring an end to the conflict in eastern parts of the country. The verdict could fuel further divisions in the vast mineral-rich Central African nation, which has endured decades of conflict. M23 rebels now control much of North Kivu and South Kivu provinces. The fighting has killed thousands and displaced hundreds of thousands more this year. The two sides signed the U.S.-brokered peace agreement in June, but Reuters sources say they are both reinforcing their positions and blaming one another for flouting the accord.

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