BREAKING: DR Congo Suspends Ex-President Kabila’s Party, Orders Asset Seizure Over Rebel Allegations
The Democratic Republic of Congo has suspended former President Joseph Kabila’s political party and ordered the seizure of his assets, accusing him of supporting Rwandan-backed M23 rebels operating in the country’s war-torn east.
The government announced the move late Saturday, with the interior ministry declaring that Kabila’s Party for Reconstruction and Democracy (PPRD) was suspended for aiding the M23 militia. The justice ministry added that assets belonging to Kabila and other senior party figures would be confiscated over actions it described as amounting to “high treason.”
Prosecutors have reportedly been instructed to begin legal proceedings against the 53-year-old ex-president, though no specific evidence or charges have been made public. Kabila, who ruled the country from 2001 to 2019, has not issued a response.
Ferdinand Kambere, PPRD’s secretary, condemned the decision in a statement to Reuters, calling the suspension a “flagrant violation” of Congo’s constitution and legal protections for political parties.
Kabila, who took office after the assassination of his father, Laurent-Désiré Kabila, refused to step down at the end of his final term in 2016, sparking widespread unrest. He eventually relinquished power in 2019 following deadly protests and has since lived abroad. In recent months, he has signaled an intention to return and help resolve the ongoing conflict in eastern Congo.
The M23 rebel group, widely believed to be backed by neighboring Rwanda—a claim Kigali denies—has seized two key cities this year in the mineral-rich eastern provinces. The region has long been plagued by armed violence, rooted in ethnic tensions and competition over resources dating back to the aftermath of Rwanda’s 1994 genocide.
The government’s allegations against Kabila mark a dramatic escalation in internal political tensions, as Congo continues to battle both external threats and persistent instability within its borders.
