The Democratic Republic of the Congo has just witnessed a political and judicial earthquake. On September 30, its High Military Court handed down an unprecedented ruling: former President Joseph Kabila, also known as Hyppolite Kanambe, has been sentenced to death in absentia and ordered to pay a staggering $30 billion in restitution to the Congolese state. All of his assets have been confiscated, and he must also pay $2 billion each to the provinces of North Kivu, the city of Bukavu, and the town of Isiro, regions severely affected by conflicts during his presidency.

Kabila was found guilty of war crimes, treason, crimes against humanity, and large-scale embezzlement. The court also ruled that he had illegally concealed his Rwandan nationality to access the presidency – a violation of the Congolese Constitution that has long fueled suspicions among his political opponents. Kabila did not appear in court to present a defense, and his whereabouts remain unknown.

This landmark verdict was made possible after the lifting of his parliamentary immunity earlier in the year. As a senator for life, Kabila still faces over 120 charges in the Military Court, including additional war crimes, financial crimes, and other violations across the country. The case is far from over.

Yet behind the solemnity of the ruling, intense debates have emerged: is this a historic step for justice in the DR Congo, or a political maneuver to neutralize an influential former president?

Since leaving power in 2019, Kabila has maintained influence, particularly in the eastern regions. The........

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