Authorities have accused the 53-year-old politician of treason over his ties with the Rwandan-backed M23 rebel group.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has suspended former President Joseph Kabila’s political party and has charged 53-year-old High treason with the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group.
In a statement later on Saturday, the country’s Home Affairs Ministry said the People’s Party for Reconstruction of Kabila and Democracy (PPRD) had been suspended due to “ambiguous attitudes” towards the occupation of M23’s DRC territory.
The M23 rebellion rekindled violence in the DRC’s mineral-rich eastern state, where conflict rooted in 1994, and struggle for mineral control, has been around for decades.
According to the United Nations, the fighting killed thousands and drove hundreds of thousands away. The M23 has also adopted two important cities in the East since the beginning of the year: Goma and Bukavu.
DRC President Felix Tshisekedi accused Kabila of preparing a “rebellion” and supporting the alliance, including the M23.
In another statement, the DRC’s Justice Department said the assets of Kabila and other party leaders will be seized after conduct that amounts to high treason.
In both statements, prosecutors were directed to commence a lawsuit against him, but no details of the charges were given. It is understood that no formal claims have been filed yet.
There are no direct comments from Kabila, who controlled the country from 2001 to 2019.
However, his spokesman, Barbara Nzimbi, wrote to X that the former president would address the country “in the coming hours or days.” PPRD Chief Secretary Ferdinand Cambre told Reuters the suspension amounted to a “serious violation” of the DRC’s constitution.
The move to suspend Kabila’s party follows reports that he has returned to the country after two years in South Africa. Kabila left the DRC before the final presidential election in 2023.
According to the Ministry of Interior, he traveled to Goma, but his existence has not been independently confirmed.
Kabila, a former military officer, came to power at the age of 29 after his father, Laurent’s Kabila, was assassinated during the Second Congolese War.
He won elections in 2006 and 2011, and was undermined by allegations of fraud and human rights abuses. After two years of fatal protests and rising international pressure, he handed power to Felix Zisekedi in 2019. This was transferred as the country’s first peaceful handover of power since independence in 1960.
Earlier this month, Kabila said his return was driven by a desire to help resolve the country’s political and security crisis. In an interview with June Afriquet, he said, “After six years of full retreat, I want to play a role in seeking a solution a year in exile.”
The suspension of the Kabila party comes as peace talks between the DRC government and the M23 rebels, scheduled to take place in April, have been postponed.
The United Nations and several local governments have accused Rwanda of supporting the M23.
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