Joseph Kabila has been accused of high treason and direct participation in rebel aggression against the African state’s government
The government in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) has banned former President Joseph Kabila’s political party and ordered his assets to be seized for allegedly supporting M23 rebels, who have taken control of large swathes of land in the country’s troubled eastern provinces.
The move on Saturday followed reports that Kabila has returned to the Central African country after spending two years in South Africa. The 53-year-old had been living abroad since stepping down amid deadly mass protests against his rule. He first took power in 2001, following the assassination of his father, President Laurent-Desire Kabila, and remained in office until 2019.
Kabila is said to have returned to Goma, which the rebels seized in January as fighting between them and government forces escalated. He has reportedly expressed an interest in returning to help in ending the ongoing conflict.
On Saturday, the Congolese Interior Ministry issued a statement criticizing Kabila’s “deliberate choice to return to the country through the enemy-controlled city of Goma, which curiously ensures his security.”
The ministry accused the former president and his People’s Party for Reconstruction and Democracy (PPRD) of an “ambiguous attitude” and failing to condemn the aggression by the M23 group.
“The Ministry of the Interior, Security, Decentralization and Customary Affairs informs the public that… the activities of the PPRD are suspended throughout the national territory,” it stated.
In a separate statement, the DR Congo Justice Ministry announced that it has been ordered to seize all “movable and immovable property” belonging to Kabila.
“Movement restriction measures have been taken against all of his collaborators involved in this case of high treason against the nation,” the ministry said.
According to both statements, prosecutors have been instructed to initiate legal proceedings against Kabila for “his direct participation in the aggression led by Rwanda through the AFC/M23 terrorist movement.”
The M23 has captured two major cities in the mineral-rich eastern DR Congo since the start of the year. The Congolese government has repeatedly accused Rwanda of fueling the decades-old conflict – claims the neighboring state has denied.
The measures against Kabila and his party come as peace talks between Kinshasa and the militants have been postponed.
The former leader has yet to respond to the allegations, but his spokesperson, Barbara Nzimbi, wrote on X that he would address the nation in the “next few hours or days.” PPRD secretary Ferdinand Kambere also told Reuters that the suspension is “a flagrant violation” of the DRC’s constitution.