Former Democratic Republic of Congo President Joseph Kabila has criticized the country’s justice system after the Senate voted to lift his immunity, allowing for potential prosecution for alleged treason and war crimes. In a livestreamed speech, Kabila described the justice system as “an instrument of oppression for a dictatorship desperately trying to survive”. He denied supporting the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group, which has seized two major cities in the country’s conflict-battered east.
The Senate’s decision, made on Thursday, grants the government permission to prosecute Kabila for alleged crimes, including treason, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and participation in an insurrectional movement. Justice Minister Constant Mutamba stated that the attorney general of Congo’s army requested the Senate to revoke Kabila’s immunity.
Kabila, who led the country from 2001 to 2019, has been in self-imposed exile since 2023. He accused Kinshasa of taking “arbitrary decisions with disconcerting levity” and emphasized that the DRC’s sovereignty and territorial integrity are non-negotiable. “As a soldier, I swore to defend my country to the supreme sacrifice… I remain more faithful than ever to this oath,” he said.
The lifting of Kabila’s immunity may complicate efforts to end the rebellion in the east, where vast supplies of critical minerals are located. The US is pushing for a peace agreement between the DRC and Rwanda, accompanied by minerals deals aimed at bringing Western investment to the region.