Former Democratic Republic of Congo President Joseph Kabila was sentenced to death on September 30, 2025, after a military court convicted him of war crimes, treason, and crimes against humanity in his absence in court.
The verdict concluded Kabila supported the M23 rebel group that has devastated the country's eastern regions.
The 54-year-old former leader was found guilty of multiple charges including murder, sexual assault, torture, and insurrection for allegedly backing the rebel forces.
‘Kabila denied all allegations through representatives, dismissing the case as arbitrary and accusing the courts of serving as an instrument of oppression,” the BBC reported.
The ex-president did not appear in court to defend himself, with his current whereabouts remaining unknown.
Kabila governed DR Congo for 18 years following his father Laurent's assassination in 2001, eventually transferring power to current President Félix Tshisekedi in 2019.
The political relationship later deteriorated, prompting Kabila's self-imposed exile in 2023.
The prosecution gained momentum after senators revoked Kabila's legal immunity earlier this year, enabling criminal proceedings.
The former president's legal troubles intensified after he visited the M23-controlled city of Goma in May, 2025 claiming he sought to mediate peace in the eastern conflict.
President Tshisekedi subsequently accused Kabila of masterminding the rebel group's operations, citing the former leader's alleged coordination with M23 forces that have seized substantial territory in the mineral-rich east.
International observers including the United Nations and several Western nations have documented evidence suggesting neighbouring Rwanda backs the M23 rebellion, though Kigali consistently denies involvement.
The death conviction arrives despite a July, 2025 ceasefire agreement between rebels and government forces that has failed to halt continued bloodshed across the conflict zone.