DR Congo Senate Strips Former President Kabila of Immunity Over Support for M23 Rebellion

The Senate of the Democratic Republic of Congo has voted to lift former President Joseph Kabila’s immunity, opening the door to his prosecution over reported ties to the M23 rebel group.

On Thursday 22, May 2025, 88 senators backed the motion, while five opposed and three abstained. The vote followed a formal request from the military prosecutor, who accused Kabila of treason, war crimes, and crimes against humanity, claiming he supported the Rwanda-backed rebels who had captured several towns in the mineral-rich east of the country.

The former president, however, did not appear before the Senate to defend himself. Kabila, who led DR Congo from 2001 to 2019, became a senator for life after leaving office – a position that granted him legal immunity.

According to authorities, substantial evidence, including documents, testimonies, and material facts, links the former president to the M23 movement. One piece of evidence includes a claim from opposition figure Eric Nkuba, who said he overheard Kabila urging M23 leaders to overthrow President Félix Tshisekedi. However, analysts have warned that the confession may have been obtained under duress.

Justice Minister Rose Mutombo has ordered the seizure of Kabila’s assets and urged him to return to the country to face justice and present his defence. The former president, living in South Africa since 2023, recently declared his intention to return and help resolve the eastern conflict.

The People’s Party for Reconstruction and Democracy (PPRD), which Kabila leads, was suspended last month over what the government described as its “ambiguous stance” on the M23 occupation. The party has condemned the Senate vote, describing it as politically motivated and legally flawed.

Joseph Kabila is not a senator like the others. As a former head of state, he falls under a special legal regime,” said PPRD spokesman Ferdinand Kambere.

In response to the vote, Kabila posted on social media and accused the Senate of ignoring proper legal procedures.

The former president and army officer came to power in 2001 following the assassination of his father, President Laurent-Désiré Kabila. He left office in 2019 after backing Tshisekedi’s rise to the presidency, though their alliance collapsed the following year.

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