Latest news with #JosephKabila
Morocco World
2 days ago
- Politics
- Morocco World
Joseph Kabila on Trial for Treason
Rabat – A military court put former President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Joseph Kabila, on trial for treason on Friday. The DRC leader also faces other charges, including murder, rape, and torture. This is all linked to his support of the M23 rebel group. Kabila became President at the age of 18 in 2001 when his father was shot during the Second Congo Civil War, during a particularly difficult period for the country. Kabila, who has been in the country in May to visit the M23 leaders in Goma, asked to be tried in absentia rather than attend in person. He has called the court 'arbitrary' and claimed that the trial is being used as an 'instrument of oppression and suppression.' A ceasefire agreement was reached between the rebels, and the deal was announced just over a week ago. Kabila, who has been criticised by the current President, and his successor, Felix Tshisekedi, has been accused of orchestrating organized violence. There have also been accusations from Tshisekedi and his government that Kabila was trying to orchestrate a coup d'état against the government. Several other organisations, such as the UN, have accused the Rwandan government and President Paul Kagame of supporting the M23 Rebels both financially and diplomatically to cause violence in the DRC. According to the DRC constitution, former senators have immunity from prosecution on all charges, including torture, but Kabila had his protection withdrawn from the senate. Kabila has lashed out at the Congolese government, calling it a 'dictatorship' and saying there was a 'decline in democracy within the country.' Spokesman for the Congolese government, Patrick Muyaya, rejected Kabila's allegations, saying that he was lying to the country. This trial has the potential to send Kabila to prison for a long period of time and keep him out of politics. The result of this trial could also result in a death sentence. The trial was suspended for discussion and will resume on July 31 for the announcement of the decision.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
DR Congo church attack kills more than 30 worshippers
An attack on a church in Komanda in northeastern DR Congo killed more than 30 worshippers, local officials said Sunday. Local sources said rebels from the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a group that has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (IS) group, stormed the church during a Saturday night service and killed 31 worshippers. Seven other bodies were discovered in the town. At least 35 people were killed Sunday in an attack by Allied Democratic Forces rebels in northeastern DR Congo, ending a months-long period of regional calm, local sources told AFP. The ADF, originally formed from former Ugandan rebels and which pledged allegiance to Islamic State in 2019, raided a Catholic church in the town of Komanda where worshippers were gathered for prayer, residents told AFP by telephone from Bunia, capital of Ituri province. "Last night around 9 pm (1900 GMT), we heard gunfire near the parish church... so far we have seen 35 bodies," Dieudonne Katanabo, an Umoja neighbourhood elder, told AFP. "We have at least 31 dead members of the Eucharistic Crusade movement, with six seriously injured... some young people were kidnapped, we have no news of them," Father Aime Lokana Dhego, parish priest of the Blessed Anuarite parish of Komanda, told AFP. The priest added that seven other bodies had been discovered in the town. Read moreDR Congo ex-leader Joseph Kabila goes on trial for treason Likewise attributing the attack to "ADF rebels", Christophe Munyanderu, coordinator of the local NGO Convention for the Respect of Human Rights, gave a provisional death toll of 38. Lieutenant Jules Ngongo, army spokesman in Ituri, did not comment on the toll but confirmed the attack to AFP, stating that "the enemy is believed to have been identified among ADF" rebels. The bloodshed comes after months of calm in the region of Ituri, bordering Uganda. The last major attack by the ADF was in February, leaving 23 dead in Mambasa territory. The town of Komanda in Irumu territory is a commercial hub linking three other provinces -- Tshopo, North Kivu, and Maniema. The ADF, originally Ugandan rebels who are predominantly Muslim, has killed thousands of civilians and ramped up looting and killing in northeastern DRC despite the deployment both of the Ugandan army alongside Congolese armed forces in the area. At the end of 2021, Kampala and Kinshasa launched a joint military operation against the ADF, dubbed "Shujaa", which has so far been unable to dislodge the group. (FRANCE 24 with AFP)
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
DR Congo tries ex-president Joseph Kabila in absentia for treason
Former Democratic Republic of Congo president Joseph Kabila went on trial in absentia Friday on charges including treason over his alleged support for Rwanda-backed militants. The trial of Kabila, who returned to live in Goma in May this year, began on Friday at a military court in the Gombe district of the capital Kinshasa. The former president faces charges of plotting to overthrow the government of President Felix Tshisekedi – which could result in a death sentence – as well as homicide, torture and rape linked to the anti-government force M23. Other charges include "taking part in an insurrection movement", "crime against the peace and safety of humanity" and "forcible occupation of the city of Goma". Kabila denies the charges, did not appear at the hearing and has asked to be tried in absentia. He returned to Goma in May, following two years of self-imposed exile in South Africa, after M23 rebels took control of the city in January. According to the charge sheet, seen by France's AFP news agency, Kabila allegedly helped form the Congo River Alliance (AFC) – the M23's political wing. He's accused of colluding with Rwanda to try to "overthrow by force the power established by law". Kabila's successor, President Tshisekedi, has branded him the brains behind the rebel movement, which has seized swathes of the resource-rich Congolese east with Rwanda's help. The militia and the government signed a pledge in July to seek a permanent ceasefire. Congo Hold-Up: on the trail of Joseph Kabila's mystery company 'Political' trial Emmanuel Shadari, secretary-general of Kabila's People's Party for Reconstruction and Democracy (PPRD), dismissed the trial as "political" arguing it would "divide the Congolese people" during peace negotiations. The proceeding "is anything but a fair trial. With a justice system that is not independent, the conviction is already decided – the rest is theatre, a ridiculous staging," Shadari said. Deputy Justice Minister Samuel Mbemba told reporters at the hearing: "The courts do not negotiate, they will do their work independently." M23 and AFC leaders deny any affiliation with the former president. Benjamin Mbonimpa, the groups' executive secretary, said that the government should not "label him an AFC/M23 member" just because he had come to the city. He branded the trial part of a "malevolent strategy" against the ex-president. Kabila, 54, who ruled the DRC from 2001 to 2019, has rejected the trial as "arbitrary" and accused the judiciary of acting as "an instrument of oppression". The Senate lifted his immunity as senator for life to allow the case to proceed. Former DR Congo president Kabila loses immunity over alleged M23 rebel ties The hearing was adjourned after several hours to 31 July, following a request by prosecutors for extra time to review documents. Eastern DRC has endured armed conflict for decades, with violence escalating since M23's resurgence in 2021. Rwanda denies military support for the group, though UN experts say its army has played a "critical" role in M23's operations. The DRC lifted a moratorium on the death penalty last year but no judicial executions have been carried out since. From 1960 to present day, 11 dates that explain the conflict in the DRC (with newswires)
eNCA
4 days ago
- Politics
- eNCA
DR Congo tries ex-leader Kabila for treason in absentia
DR CONGO - Former Democratic Republic of Congo leader Joseph Kabila went on trial in absentia Friday on charges including treason over alleged support for Rwanda-backed militants, an AFP reporter at the court said. Kabila, who has lived outside the DRC for two years, stands accused at a military court of plotting to overthrow the government of President Felix Tshisekedi - a charge that could yield a death sentence. He also faces charges including homicide, torture and rape linked to the anti-government force M23, the charge sheet said. Other charges include "taking part in an insurrection movement", "crime against the peace and safety of humanity" and "forcible occupation of the city of Goma". Kabila arrived in May in that eastern city, seized by the M23 in January before the militia and the government in July signed a pledge to seek a permanent ceasefire. Kabila's successor as president, Tshisekedi, has branded him the brains behind the armed group, which has seized swathes of the resource-rich Congolese east with Rwanda's help. The court opened his trial at 1020 GMT in the Gombe district of the capital Kinshasa. Emmanuel Shadari, secretary-general of Kabila's People's Party for Reconstruction and Democracy (PPRD), dismissed it as a "political trial" that he said would "divide the Congolese people" during peace negotiations. The proceeding "is anything but a fair trial. With a justice system that is not independent, the conviction is already decided - the rest is theatre, a ridiculous staging," Shadari said. Deputy Justice Minister Samuel Mbemba told reporters at the hearing: "The courts do not negotiate, they will do their work independently." - M23 denies Kabila ties - The charge sheet seen by AFP described Kabila as "one of the initiators of the Congo River Alliance" (AFC), the M23's political arm. It accuses him of colluding with Rwanda to try to "overthrow by force the power established by law". The charge sheet accused him of being responsible for atrocities committed by the movement in the North and South Kivu provinces in the mineral-rich east. Rwanda denies providing military backing to the M23, but UN experts say its army played a "critical" role in the group's offensive in that region. The AFC and M23's executive secretary Benjamin Mbonimpa distanced the movement from Kabila at a news conference in Goma on Friday. He told a news conference that the government should not "label him an AFC/M23 member" just because he had come to the city. Kabila "as a Congolese citizen is free to go wherever he likes", he said, branding the trial part of a "malevolent strategy" against the ex-president. - Kabila says trial 'arbitrary' - Kabila, 54, took power following his father Laurent Kabila's assassination in 2001 and governed the DRC until 2019, before leaving the country in 2023. He has branded his successor's government a "dictatorship". Kabila has rejected the case as "arbitrary" and called the courts "an instrument of oppression". The upper house of the legislature lifted his immunity as senator for life to allow his prosecution. The court on Friday heard from military prosecutor Rene-Lucien Likulia, who asked it to judge Kabila in his absence. It scheduled the next hearing for July 31. For more than three decades, the eastern DRC has been ravaged by conflict between various armed groups. The unrest has intensified since the M23's resurgence in 2021.
France 24
5 days ago
- Politics
- France 24
DR Congo ex-leader Joseph Kabila goes on trial for treason
Democratic Republic of Congo 's ex-leader Joseph Kabila went on trial in absentia Friday on charges including treason over alleged support for Rwanda-backed militants, an AFP reporter at the court said. He stands accused at a military court in Kinshasa of plotting to overthrow the government of President Felix Tshisekedi – a charge that could carry a death sentence. He faces charges including homicide, torture and rape linked to the anti-government force M23, the charge sheet said. Other charges include "taking part in an insurrection movement", "crime against the peace and safety of humanity" and "forcible occupation of the city of Goma". Kabila arrived in May in that eastern city, seized by the M23 in January before it and the government in July signed a pledge to seek a permanent ceasefire. DR Congo: Fears of renewed violence grow as fighting erupts again 01:51 The court opened his trial at 1020 GMT in the Gombe district of the capital. Kabila's successor as president, Tshisekedi, has branded him the brains behind the armed group, which has seized swathes of the resource-rich Congolese east with Rwanda 's help. The charge sheet seen by AFP described him as "one of the initiators of the Congo River Alliance", the M23's political arm. He has been accused of colluding with Rwanda to try to overthrow Tshisekedi by force. The charge sheet accused him of being responsible for atrocities committed by the movement in North and South Kivu provinces in the mineral-rich east. Rwanda denies providing military backing to the M23, but UN experts say its army played a "critical" role in the group's offensive in that region. Kabila, 54, took power following his father Laurent Kabila's assassination in 2001 and governed DRC until 2019, before leaving the country in 2023. He has branded his successor's government a "dictatorship". Kabila has rejected the case as "arbitrary" and called the courts "an instrument of oppression". The upper house of the legislature lifted his immunity as senator for life to allow his prosecution. For more than three decades, eastern DRC has been ravaged by conflict between various armed groups. The unrest has intensified since the M23's resurgence in 2021. DRC lifted a moratorium on the death penalty last year but no judicial executions have been carried out since.
