Speaking on August 24, the coalition's deputy coordinator, Bertrand Bisimwa, stated that Kinshasa must account for the charges brought against Kabila, who ruled the DRC from 2001 to 2019.
Kabila is currently being tried before the country's High Military Court on accusations of treason, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. The trial opened on July 25, 2025.
Prosecutors allege that Kabila committed these crimes in connection with his supposed leadership role within the AFC/M23 movement, despite his earlier public denial in March that he had no involvement with the group.
During court proceedings on August 22, 2025, prosecutors requested the death penalty for Kabila. They also demanded the confiscation of assets valued at approximately $32 billion and sought an additional $21 billion in damages.
Bisimwa has pointed out that the trial contradicts commitments recently signed between the government and AFC/M23 under a Qatar-brokered agreement.
The deal included a provision for the release of more than 700 detainees, comprising suspected members and affiliates of the coalition.
'The Kinshasa regime owes us explanations regarding this media-judicial lynching of President Joseph Kabila, who is being prosecuted and sentenced to death for his alleged support to the AFC/M23, at a time when we had agreed that detainees prosecuted for the same charges should be released,' Bisimwa said.
IGIHE
Source : https://en.igihe.com/news/article/afc-m23-demands-clarification-from-drc-government-on-kabila-trial
