"The Congolese judiciary has gathered the most tangible and irrefutable evidence supporting the clear involvement, the direct participation of senator for life Joseph Kabila in war crimes, crimes against humanity, and the massacres of peaceful citizens", Mutamba told reporters.
"We expect from the senate the pure and simple lifting" of immunity so the case can be heard by the High Military Court, Mutamba added.
Joseph Kabila served as president of the DRC from 2001 until 2019, after which he entered the Senate.
The current government has long accused him of collaborating with the AFC/M23 coalition, which controls large parts of North and South Kivu provinces in the country's troubled east.
When Kabila visited Goma on April 18, 2025â€"a city under the control of the AFC/M23 coalition since late Januaryâ€"the Congolese government declared its intention to seize all his assets, calling his presence in the area further proof of his alleged ties to the rebel alliance.
An individual close to Kabila defended the visit, saying the former president was participating in peace talks aimed at resolving the country's persistent insecurity in the east.
Minister Mutamba, however, asserted that Kabila played a role in atrocities committed in eastern DRC and went as far as to claim that the former president was among the founders of the AFC/M23 coalition.
He clarified that the prosecution is not targeting Kabila in his capacity as a former head of state, but rather as a sitting senatorâ€"hence the request to the Senate to remove his immunity so legal action can proceed.
In March 2025, Kabila publicly denied having any connection to AFC/M23, arguing that if he truly had ties to the group, the conflict in eastern DRC would have escalated far beyond its current level.
Kabila's political party, the PPRD, also issued a statement denying the accusations. The party claimed there is no evidence that Kabila even traveled to Goma and added that even if he had, it would not prove any affiliation with AFC/M23.
IGIHE
