By A Correspondent
The Senate of the Democratic Republic of Congo has voted to strip former President Joseph Kabila of his legal immunity, opening the door for treason and war crimes charges linked to his alleged ties with rebel forces in the country’s troubled eastern region.
The landmark decision follows a formal request by the military prosecutor, who alleges that Kabila played a role in supporting the M23 rebel group. The group has seized several strategic towns in the mineral-rich east, intensifying the conflict and humanitarian crisis.
Authorities claim they have “a substantial body of documents, testimony, and material evidence” connecting the former president to the rebels. Though Kabila, 53, has not issued a public response to the latest developments, he has previously denied any involvement with M23.
In a decisive move on Thursday, nearly 90 senators voted in favor of lifting his immunity, with only five opposing. Kabila did not attend the Senate session to defend himself.
Kabila, who ruled the DRC from 2001 to 2019, became a “senator for life” after leaving office, a status that previously protected him from legal prosecution. The recent Senate vote now clears the way for legal proceedings.
The former leader has been living in South Africa since 2023, officially pursuing academic studies. In early April, he announced plans to return home to help resolve the conflict in eastern Congo. Not long after, unconfirmed reports emerged claiming Kabila had already returned and was in Goma — a city currently under M23 control. His party, the People’s Party for Reconstruction and Democracy (PPRD), dismissed these reports.
Tensions escalated further last month when the Congolese government banned the PPRD, citing the party’s “ambiguous attitude” toward the occupation of territory by M23.
Following the Senate’s decision, the PPRD strongly condemned the move. “This is pure theatre,” the party said in a statement. “The government is trying to distract the population from the real problems facing our country.”
While Kabila’s next steps remain unclear, the unprecedented vote marks a dramatic shift in Congolese politics and signals a willingness by the current leadership to hold former rulers accountable. Whether the prosecution will proceed and how the charges will be substantiated is now the focus of regional and international observers.