Request for abolishment of capital punishment for ex-DRC Prime Minister Kabila withdrawn
In a series of significant developments, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and its neighbour Rwanda have been making headlines recently.
On June 27, a peace agreement at the ministerial level between the DRC and Rwanda was signed in Washington. This agreement comes amidst ongoing tensions in the eastern part of the DRC, where a rebel group has been causing unrest since January.
Meanwhile, former DRC President Joseph Kabila, who led the People's Party for Reconstruction and Democracy (PPRD) during his presidency, has been making waves of his own. Kabila, who has been out of the DRC since the end of 2023, mainly in South Africa, denounced the "authoritarian drift" and the "collapse of institutions" of the country in a speech to the nation from an unknown location.
Kabila's return to the DRC was announced in April, with the intention of contributing to a solution to the crisis in the east of the country. However, the government has since suspended the activities of the PPRD and ordered the seizure of its assets, allegedly for collaborating with the rebel group.
The rebel group, which controls the strategic capital of North Kivu province, Goma, welcomed Kabila on social media when he visited the city in April. General Lucien René Likulia, the auditor-general of the Armed Forces of the DRC, requested the death penalty for Kabila in August, considering him the intellectual mentor of the violence committed by the M23 movement in the east of the country.
Kabila has been tried in absentia since July 25 on charges including treason, participating in an insurrectional movement, crimes against peace and humanity's security, deliberate homicide, violation and torture. The first president of the military tribunal, Joseph Mutombo, indicated that the tribunal considers itself "sufficiently informed". The tribunal will pronounce itself within the legal deadline, without specifying a date for the decision.
The ongoing Ebola outbreak in the DRC is another challenge the country is facing. The African Union is mobilizing teams to contain the outbreak.
In a surprising turn of events, prosecutors withdrew three witnesses from Kabila's trial due to security concerns. Civil prosecutor Richard Bondo stated that the witnesses' absence can contribute to the defendant's conviction.
On a positive note, a declaration to end the violence was signed between the government and the M23 in Doha on July 19. However, the support of neighbouring Rwanda for the rebel group remains a concern.
The Senate decided on May 22 to withdraw Kabila's immunity, as requested by the military public ministry, for allegedly supporting the rebel group. The future decisions of the military tribunal and the peace agreement between the DRC and Rwanda will be closely watched by the international community.
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