Former DRC President’s Political Party Suspended
Current DRC President Felix Tshisekedi speaks at a Paris press conference in 2024 [Christophe Ena/AP Newsroom]
On Sunday April 20, the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo moved to ban the People's Party for Reconstruction and Democracy, founded by former President Joseph Kabila. This comes in tandem with charges of high treason levied against Kabila himself for alleged ties to M23, the Rwandan-backed rebel group that recently seized control of two major cities in the DRC. The government has moved to seize the former president’s assets as well, alongside other party leaders.
Kabila was in office from 2001-2019, stepping down after massive protests. The protests were due to his unwillingness to step down when his term expired in 2016, which eventually culminated in a 2018 power sharing agreement with now-president Felix Tshisekedi, who later accused him of blocking efforts for reform. He left the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2023 and has been living in South Africa. However, on April 9, he announced plans to return to the DRC, saying “I have resolved to return home without delay to contribute to the search for a solution”. Tshisekedi is now the one levying these charges of high treason against his predecessor. Prosecutors have been instructed to begin proceedings against Kabila, however no details about the specific accusations have been released publicly yet.
The official interior ministry statement as to why his political party has been banned is due to its “ambiguous attitude” towards M23’s seizing of cities. This is further compounded by the fact that Kabila announced his intention to return to Goma, the most recent city M23 has occupied. A spokesperson for M23 states that they “don't see any problem [with] him being here”, neither confirming nor denying whether the former leader had returned yet. The interior ministry of the DRC claims that Kabila has returned to the country but this has yet to be officially confirmed by any independent sources.
Joseph Kabila addressing the United Nations General Assembly in 2001 [Richard Drew/AP Newsroom]
Tshisekedi believes that Kabila is preparing to overthrow his reign with an “insurrection” that includes the M23 group. The UN accused the Rwandan government of also backing the rebel group, which the Rwandan president Paul Kagame strongly denies. Kabila has yet to make a statement on the suspension of his party or the accusation against him but is reported to be planning a statement soon. Currently, his stated goal seems to be negotiating peace between M23 and the DRC’s government, who have been in negotiations. The next round of these talks were due to begin in April, though they were just recently postponed. Therefore, questions remain about whether a peaceful resolution to the conflict is within reach or whether this banning of the People's Party for Reconstruction and Democracy suggests an escalation in tension. With a UN estimated 21.2 million people in need of humanitarian aid due to the ongoing conflict and displacement of Congolese people, the longer the conflict drags on the more dire the humanitarian crisis will become.