On Tuesday, September 30, the High Military Court in Kinshasa sentenced former President of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Joseph Kabila, to death. The verdict was delivered in absentia, marking an unprecedented ruling against a former Head of State.
In addition to the death sentence, the Court ordered Kabila to pay damages totaling $33 billion, including $29 billion to the Congolese state (the civil party), and $2 billion each to the civil parties from North Kivu and South Kivu provinces.
The Court also issued an immediate arrest warrant for Kabila, who currently holds the status of senator for life, after finding him guilty of a range of charges. These include treason, participation in an insurrectional movement, and war crimes.
During the ruling, judges spent several hours outlining both the legal and factual basis for the conviction. According to the Court, K
