Former Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) president Joseph Kabila went on trial in absentia on Friday on charges including treason over alleged support for Rwanda-backed militants, an AFP reporter at the court said.
Kabila, who has lived outside the DR Congo for two years, stands accused at a military court of plotting to overthrow the government of Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi — a charge that could yield a death sentence.
He also faces charges including homicide, torture and rape linked to the anti-government force M23, the charge sheet said.
Photo: Reuters
Other charges include “taking part in an insurrection movement,” “crime against the peace and safety of humanity” and “forcible occupation of the city of Goma.”
Kabila arrived in May in that eastern city, seized by the M23 in January before the militia and the government this month signed a pledge to seek a permanent ceasefire.
Tshisekedi has branded Kabila the brains behind the armed group, which has seized swathes of the resource-rich Congolese east with Rwanda’s help.
The court opened his trial at 10:20am in Kinshasa.
People’s Party for Reconstruction and Democracy secretary-general Emmanuel Shadari dismissed it as a “political trial” that he said would “divide the Congolese people” during peace negotiations.
The proceeding “is anything but a fair trial. With a justice system that is not independent, the conviction is already decided — the rest is theatre, a ridiculous staging,” Shadari said.
Congolese Deputy Minister of Justice Samuel Mbemba said at the hearing: “The courts do not negotiate, they will do their work independently.”
The charge sheet seen described Kabila as “one of the initiators of the Congo River Alliance” (AFC), the M23’s political arm.
It accuses him of colluding with Rwanda to try to “overthrow by force the power established by law.”
The charge sheet also accused him of being responsible for atrocities committed by the movement in the north and south Kivu provinces.
Rwanda denies providing military backing to the M23, but UN experts said its army played a “critical” role in the group’s offensive in that region.
The AFC and M23’s executive secretary Benjamin Mbonimpa distanced the movement from Kabila at a news conference in Goma on Friday.
He told a news conference that the government should not “label him an AFC/M23 member” just because he had come to the city.
Kabila “as a Congolese citizen is free to go wherever he likes,” he said, branding the trial part of a “malevolent strategy” against the ex-president.
Kabila has rejected the case as “arbitrary” and called the courts “an instrument of oppression.”
The upper house of the legislature lifted his immunity as senator for life to allow his prosecution.
The court on Friday heard from military prosecutor Rene-Lucien Likulia, who asked it to judge Kabila in his absence.
It scheduled the next hearing for Thursday next week.
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