By Ollus Ndomu
The Democratic Republic of the Congo has formally requested the lifting of former President Joseph Kabila’s immunity, accusing him of supporting the M23 rebel group that controls swathes of the country’s troubled eastern region.
The Congolese military prosecutor submitted a request to the Senate on Tuesday, seeking to strip Kabila of his legal protections as a senator for life—an honorary position granted to all former heads of state under the Constitution.
The government claims there is a “substantial body of documents, testimony, and material facts” linking Kabila to the M23, an ethnic Tutsi-led armed group long accused of receiving support from neighboring Rwanda.
“The evidence implicates the former president in aiding and abetting an armed rebellion that has destabilized our eastern provinces and displaced hundreds of thousands,” a senior government official told the Associated Press on condition of anonymity, citing the sensitivity of the case.
Kabila, who ruled the DRC from 2001 to 2019, has not yet publicly responded to the accusations. He has previously denied any connection with the insurgents, who resurfaced in late 2021 after years of dormancy.
The push to remove Kabila’s immunity marks a dramatic escalation in President Félix Tshisekedi’s ongoing effort to assert control over security and governance in the mineral-rich but conflict-ridden east. The M23 currently occupies strategic territory in North Kivu province, including areas near the regional capital, Goma.
Analysts say the move could further inflame political tensions in a country still grappling with the legacy of past civil wars and chronic instability. “This is unprecedented,” said political analyst Jean-Paul Kalume. “No former Congolese president has faced this level of direct legal jeopardy since independence.”
The Senate must now deliberate on the request, a process that could take weeks and is likely to stir partisan divisions. If approved, it would open the door to a formal criminal investigation and potential prosecution of the former president.
The development comes amid mounting regional pressure for a political resolution to the M23 crisis, with the United States and Qatar recently mediating ceasefire talks between DRC and Rwanda.
Kabila, once seen as a key power broker in Congolese politics, has kept a low profile in recent years but still commands loyalty among segments of the military and political elite.
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