Former Congo President Joseph Kabila Sentenced to Death in Absentia for War Crimes and Treason

Former Democratic Republic of Congo President Joseph Kabila has been sentenced to death in absentia for war crimes and treason. He has been accused of supporting the M23, a rebel group who have wreaked devastation across the country’s eastern region. The ex-president denied the charges and rejected the case as arbitrary and said the courts were being used as an instrument of oppression. His current whereabouts are unknown.
 
 
The 54-year-old Joseph led the country for 18 years, after succeeding his father, Laurent, who was shot dead in 2001. Kabila, who served as President from 2001 to 2019, handed over power to President Félix Tshisekedi in 2019, but they later fell out, and Joseph Kabila went into self-imposed exile in 2023.