The Senate of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) is planning to talk about taking away former President Joseph Kabila’s immunity on May 22. If they agree, Kabila could face legal charges for supporting a rebel group called M23. This group, backed by Rwanda, has been fighting and taking land in eastern DR Congo.
The current president, Félix Tshisekedi, and his government accuse Kabila of helping M23. They say Kabila is guilty of serious crimes such as treason, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and leading an uprising. The M23 group has made fighting worse in an area that has already had many years of conflict.
Kabila is 53 years old and hasn’t been seen in public in DR Congo since 2023. His team says he is out of the country but won’t say where he is. Even though he stopped being president in 2019, Kabila still holds the special title of senator for life. This title gives him immunity, meaning he cannot be taken to court without the Senate’s permission.
The Justice Minister, Constant Mutamba, has asked the military courts to start a case against Kabila. To do that, the military prosecutor sent a request to the Senate to remove Kabila’s immunity. The Senate then made a special group of 40 lawmakers to study the case. This group finished their report and gave it to the Senate on Wednesday before the vote on Thursday.
The Senate said the meeting on May 22 will focus only on the report from the special group. After the report is presented, the senators will vote on whether to remove Kabila’s immunity. If they vote yes, more discussions will be needed to decide how to legally move forward.
Some legal experts disagree on whether both houses of parliament need to approve this decision with a two-thirds majority. But because President Tshisekedi’s party has many seats, reaching this number might be possible.
Kabila is the only former president in DR Congo who is a senator for life. The plan to remove his immunity comes after months of rising political tension. Kabila has criticized the current government and hinted he might come back to politics. Though there is no proof he will return, the government has already suspended his party, the People’s Party for Reconstruction and Democracy (PPRD), and searched some of his properties
