DR Congo Bans Ex-President Kabila, Accuses him of Ties to M23 Rebels
The Democratic Republic of Congo has officially banned the party of former President Joseph Kabila, citing alleged connections to the M23 rebel group, which has taken control of significant areas in the country’s east this year.
The ban comes amid reports of Kabila’s return to the DR Congo after two years in South Africa, reportedly arriving in Goma—a town captured by the Rwandan-backed M23 rebels in January.
Kabila, who assumed power in 2001 at age 29 following the assassination of his father, Laurent Kabila, led the country for 18 years. In a statement, the interior ministry said all activities of Kabila’s PPRD party were suspended due to its “ambiguous attitude” regarding the M23 occupation and noted that Kabila had returned to Goma under the protection of the “enemy.”
The government has escalated its stance, accusing Kabila of high treason and ordering the seizure of all his property.
While Kabila has previously denied any links to M23, he has not publicly responded to the latest allegations or confirmed his return to DR Congo. Although he announced plans earlier this month to return, senior officials in his party have denied he is in Goma.
On Saturday, his spokesperson Barbara Nzimbi posted on X that Kabila would address the nation soon. Meanwhile, the M23 spokesperson, when questioned by BBC Great Lakes, neither confirmed nor denied Kabila’s presence in Goma, stating, “I don’t see any problem him being here.”
