The Democratic Republic of Congo has suspended the political party of former President Joseph Kabila and ordered the seizure of his assets, citing accusations that he supported Rwandan-backed rebels in the country’s east.
Kabila, who ruled from 2001 to 2019 and only relinquished power after deadly protests, has expressed a desire to return to Congo to help resolve the ongoing conflict in the region. However, in a statement released late Saturday, the interior ministry stated that Kabila’s party was suspended for allegedly aiding the M23 rebels, a group that has gained ground in the mineral-rich eastern Congo.
The justice ministry announced that Kabila and other party leaders’ assets would be seized due to their involvement in what it described as acts of high treason. Prosecutors have been instructed to initiate legal proceedings, but no specific details about the charges have been provided.
Kabila, who has not responded publicly to the government’s actions, ruled Congo for nearly two decades after the assassination of his father, Laurent Kabila. He refused to step down when his term expired in 2016, sparking mass protests. He eventually agreed to leave office and has since lived in various African countries.
Ferdinand Kambere, the secretary of Kabila’s Party for Reconstruction and Democracy, condemned the suspension, calling it a “flagrant violation” of Congo’s constitution and laws.
The M23 rebels have seized control of two major cities in eastern Congo since the beginning of the year, exacerbating a region already plagued by decades of instability linked to the aftermath of Rwanda’s 1994 genocide and the ongoing battle for control of the area’s lucrative mineral resources.