In a significant political development, former Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) President Joseph Kabila made his first public appearance in Nairobi, Kenya, since being sentenced to death in absentia for treason and war crimes. The event, attended by a dozen Congolese opposition leaders, marked the establishment of a new political movement aimed at challenging the current DRC President Felix Tshisekedi. Kabila’s presence in Kenya is anticipated to provoke diplomatic tensions, as the DRC government has previously accused Kenya of supporting the M23 rebel group. The newly formed political coalition declared its mission to unite Congolese citizens against what they described as a dictatorship, with goals to restore democracy, state authority, and national reconciliation. The DRC government in Kinshasa has accused Kabila of collaborating with Rwanda and the Rwanda-backed M23, which seized control of key cities in Congo’s mineral-rich eastern region earlier this year. Kabila, who led the People’s Party for Reconstruction and Democracy from 2001 to 2019, has denied the allegations, calling the death sentence politically motivated. His tenure, marked by delayed elections and extended rule, ended in 2019 with Tshisekedi’s election, which was the first peaceful transition of power since Congo’s independence in 1960. However, the relationship between the two leaders deteriorated, culminating in Kabila’s departure from the DRC earlier this year.
Former Congo leader Kabila appears at Kenya political meeting despite absentia death sentence
