Smoke still hangs over the streets of Goma, where shattered homes and abandoned marketplaces tell the story of a city under siege. Millions have fled the eastern provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo this year, victims of relentless attacks by the M23 rebel group. 

This Rwanda-backed faction has swept through strategic towns with military precision. Now, the blame has landed squarely on the country’s former president.

On the last day of September, a military court in the DRC handed a death sentence to Joseph Kabila, who ruled from 2001 to 2019, after convicting him in absentia of treason, war crimes, murder, sexual assault, and torture. Prosecutors alleged that the 53-year-old former ruler colluded with M23 during its campaign of violence, allowing the group to seize key territories, including the provincial capital, Goma. 

The court also ordered Mr. Kabila to pay $29 billion in damages to the Congolese government, along with an additional $2 billion each to North Kivu and South Kivu — the regions most devastated by the insurgency.

Mr. Kabila, whose whereabouts are unknown, did not appear in court and was not represented by legal counsel. Human rights groups have dismissed the proceedings as a politically motivated “vendetta” against an opponent of President Félix Tshisekedi — one that undermines the country’s justice system and resembles a show trial.

“The trial raises serious questions about fairness and judicial independence,” the former Africa counterterrorism director for the Pentagon, Rudolph Atallah, tells the New York Sun. “It may embolden further political crackdowns rather than deliver justice.”

The verdict leaves open difficult questions about what happens next. After a period of self-imposed exile, Mr. Kabila reportedly met in Goma in May with local leaders and residents under M23 control, but is no longer believed to be in the country.

With M23 still controlling portions of eastern Congo, enforcing the death sentence or recovering the multi-billion-dollar damages may prove impossible. The ruling also complicates peace negotiations between the government and the M23 rebels, which Qatar has mediated since July. 

Analysts warn that the court’s decision could deepen political divisions. 

“I question if Congo is a failed state or a failing state. Surely not a well-run state,” a former American ambassador to South Africa, Cameron Hume, tells the Sun.  

He questioned the overall legitimacy of the nation’s state institutions, particularly in the resource-rich eastern provinces, which have long been outside effective government control.

“When in the last 30-plus years did the authorities in Kinshasa control eastern Congo? How legitimate were the last national elections? If the government does not govern in eastern Congo, how legitimate can its judicial decisions regarding acts in that area be?” he asked. 

Mr. Hume acknowledged Mr. Kabila’s complicity, describing the former president as “surely corrupt and at times cooperating with Rwanda and M23,” but emphasized the need for transparency and due process. 

“What were the specific charges and the evidence presented? Qatar has close ties to Rwanda —its mediation can be seen in that light,” he noted. “Of course, one wishes for an end to violence in eastern Congo and some capable governance there. But that road still lies ahead.”

A History of Allegations and Corruption

Beyond the ongoing hostilities, Mr. Kabila’s nearly two-decade tenure is deeply controversial. He assumed power at age 29 following the assassination of his father, Laurent Kabila, and his rule was marred by widespread allegations of human rights abuses, including the killing, torture, and imprisonment of political opponents, journalists, and activists. 

These abuses intensified as Mr. Kabila sought to extend his presidency beyond constitutional term limits, delaying elections until December 2018 amid heavy international criticism.

After leaving office, Mr. Kabila and his associates faced mounting allegations of vast corruption. Leaked documents made public as the result of a 2021 investigation suggested that Mr. Kabila, his family, and close aides embezzled at least $138 million from state coffers between 2013 and 2018. 

The funds were reportedly siphoned from the central bank, the state-owned mining company Gécamines, and other government institutions, fueling long-standing concerns about governance and accountability in the DRC. 

The leaked documents also indicated that Chinese firms involved in the Sicomines mining venture transferred millions of dollars to Mr. Kabila’s family and associates.

“There has been little to no accountability to date for those who have profited personally and heavily from the system of grand corruption and human rights abuses that flourished under Kabila and continues today,” according to a senior policy adviser at The Sentry, an Africa-focused investigative organization. 

“Billions of dollars continue to be stolen from the Congolese people, and without consequences for this, the rapacious system will continue,” Sasha Lezhnev tells the Sun. “That said, only targeting political opponents is unlikely to lead to systemic change. The accountability must be even-handed, including for those who continue to profit from violence and corruption today.”

Mr. Kabila’s reemergence this year in the country he once ruled reignited political tensions. In February, he published an opinion piece in South Africa’s Sunday Times accusing President Tshisekedi of consolidating power and mishandling the conflict with M23. 

Shortly afterward, the Congolese government banned media coverage of Mr. Kabila and his party for 90 days. Parliament later voted to lift his presidential immunity, clearing the way for the military tribunal that followed.

What Happens Now?

Mr. Kabila remains at large, possibly residing in South Africa, while M23 continues to hold sway in Goma. Any attempt to detain or execute him could trigger violent reprisals and further destabilize the eastern provinces. 

While the government has portrayed the verdict as a victory for justice, critics contend that such high-profile prosecutions risk undermining judicial independence and provoking renewed unrest. Human rights groups warn that the trial could encourage additional crackdowns on political opponents and civil society, echoing the same patterns of repression that characterized Mr. Kabila’s own presidency.

The massive damages awarded — tens of billions in total — also highlight the complex financial stakes of politically charged trials. Even if Mr. Kabila were captured, recovering such sums is highly uncertain, raising questions about the efficacy of legal remedies in a country still recovering from decades of conflict. 

The trial’s ripple effects could extend beyond Congo’s borders, influencing regional dynamics and diplomatic relations with Rwanda and Uganda, nations that have long been accused of supporting M23.

“The ruling has little enforceability. Kabila retains wealth, networks, and protection outside formal government control,” explained Mr. Atallah. “It risks being viewed domestically and internationally as a political tool rather than a genuine exercise of justice.”

Whatever the legal outcome, Mr. Kabila’s death sentence marks a dramatic new chapter in the DRC’s fraught political history — one that could shape the country’s stability, governance, and peace efforts for years to come.