The leader of the M23 rebel group, Bertrand Bisimwa, has denounced the death sentence issued on Tuesday, September 30 by the Kinshasa High Military Court against former President Joseph Kabila, describing it as a violation of previously agreed peace principles.
Bisimwa said the ruling, which accuses Kabila of links with the AFC/M23 movement, is unjustified and undermines ongoing efforts toward stability.
“This death sentence under the pretext of his alleged connection with the AFC/M23 is a violation of the Declaration of Principles, just as much as the continued military offensives by the Kinshasa regime,” Bisimwa stated.
He added that the AFC/M23 has “never been mistaken about the intentions” of the Congolese authorities, accusing the government of acting in bad faith while claiming to pursue peace.
The Common Front for Congo (FCC) also sharply condemned the death sentence, accusing the government of weaponizing the judiciary for political repression.
In a press statement, the opposition platform denounced what it termed the “restoration of dictatorship” and the “instrumentalization of justice,” claiming it has consistently warned of growing authoritarianism over the past four years.
The People’s Party for Reconstruction and Democracy (PPRD), a key FCC member, went further, calling the ruling a “betrayal of democracy.” PPRD deputy permanent secretary Ferdinand Kambere described the trial as a “disgrace,” alleging that the verdict was designed to silence a prominent political actor.
“This trial has no other purpose than to silence a man who worked for reunification, pacification, and democratization. It is a politically motivated, unfair conviction intended to erase a dissenting voice,” Kambere said.
He also accused current authorities of maintaining opaque ties with M23 rebels and their alleged backers in Rwanda and Uganda, saying the trial was a diversion from ongoing insecurity in the country’s east.
Former presidential candidate Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary also reacted, dismissing the ruling as a “big joke” and an “unjust political condemnation.”
The ruling has deepened divisions across the political landscape, fueling debate over the state of justice and democracy in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
