Former President Joseph Kabila has returned to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) just days after losing his legal immunity. He faces serious accusations of supporting armed rebels in the eastern part of the country. Kabila was in Goma, a city recently taken over by the M23 militia, which is backed by Rwanda.
This visit comes at a tense time. Kabila has been in self-imposed exile since 2023, and the DRC Senate recently voted to lift his immunity, allowing for possible prosecution. He denies the allegations against him, calling them arbitrary and baseless.
During his visit, Kabila met with local religious leaders and spoke with residents in Goma. Although he did not make any public statements, reports suggest he was accompanied by M23’s spokesperson, Lawrence Kanyuka. A member of Kabila’s team mentioned that while there is no formal alliance between Kabila’s party and M23, they share a common goal: to challenge the current president, Felix Tshisekedi.
The situation in eastern DRC is dire. The ongoing violence has displaced around 700,000 people this year alone, according to the United Nations. Both the UN and the DRC government accuse Rwanda of providing support to the M23, a claim Rwanda denies.
Amnesty International recently reported that M23 has been involved in serious human rights abuses, including torture and killings. These actions could potentially be classified as war crimes. M23 claims its mission is to protect ethnic minorities from the government in Kinshasa.
Kabila’s return raises questions about the political landscape and the potential for further unrest in a region already grappling with conflict.