Former Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) president Joseph Kabila has dismissed his ongoing treason trial as a political ploy aimed at silencing opposition voices.
In a statement issued Tuesday, Kabila said the proceedings “have nothing to do with justice,” accusing President Félix Tshisekedi of using selective trials to deflect from his government’s failures.
He also alleged corruption tied to mining interests in Katanga and called for genuine national dialogue, warning that “reconciliation will come neither from partial agreements nor from selective trials.”
Kabila, who ended a two-year self-imposed exile in April by returning to Goma shortly after M23 rebels seized the city, lost his parliamentary immunity when the Senate revoked it, clearing the way for legal action.
He is being tried in absentia before the High Military Court on charges of treason, war crimes, rape, murder, and conspiracy.
Prosecutors accuse him of backing Rwanda-linked M23 rebels and plotting to overthrow the government—claims he has rejected as “false and politically motivated.”
Last week, the military prosecutor requested the death penalty against Kabila, in addition to a 20-year sentence for allegedly condoning war crimes and a 15-year term for conspiracy.
