On Tuesday, the High Military Court in the Democratic Republic of Congo (Central Africa) issued a death sentence in absentia against former President Joseph Kabila, charging him with “high treason and war crimes.”
The public prosecutor had requested the death penalty last Friday, accusing Kabila—who is being tried in absentia—of colluding with the Rwanda-backed armed group M23.
General Lucien René Likulia, representing the prosecution, urged the court to sentence Kabila to death for committing “war crimes,” “treason,” and “organizing an insurrection.” He also requested 20 years in prison for “justifying war crimes” and 15 years for “conspiracy.”
In late May, Kabila—who has lived abroad for over two years—appeared in Goma, a city controlled by the M23 movement, where he held consultations with political and civil representatives, claiming his aim was to “contribute to restoring peace” in the Democratic Republic of Congo.