A military court in the Democratic Republic of Congo has sentenced former president Joseph Kabila to death in absentia on charges of treason.
The 54-year-old ex-leader, who neither appeared at the trial in Kinshasa nor sent legal representation, was convicted of complicity with the M23 rebel group. The armed faction, allegedly backed by Rwanda, has seized large areas of the mineral-rich eastern Congo.
Kabila left the country in 2023 and briefly resurfaced in Goma this May, sparking unease within the capital. Analysts suggest the sentence is intended to prevent him from rallying opposition forces, even as his current location remains unknown.
The DRC, scarred by decades of conflict, lifted its moratorium on the death penalty last year, though no executions have taken place since.
