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GOMA, Congo (AP) — Congo's nationalist authoritative connected Friday asked for the decease punishment for erstwhile President Joseph Kabila, who is being tried successful absentia successful a treason lawsuit that includes warfare crimes charges related to his ties to the M23 rebel group.
Kabila, who led Congo from 2001 to 2019, has been connected proceedings since July, charged with warfare crimes, execution and rape. He took bureau astatine the property of 29 — aft his begetter and erstwhile President Laurent Kabila was assassinated — and extended his mandate by delaying elections for 2 years aft his word ended successful 2017.
He is accused by the Congolese authorities of supporting the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels who person seized large cities and towns successful the country’s eastbound successful the past months.
Kabila had been successful self-imposed exile since 2023 until April, erstwhile helium arrived successful the rebel-held metropolis of Goma pursuing its seizure successful a accelerated rebel offensive.
His supporters accidental the proceedings is politically motivated. Kabila’s statesmanlike immunity was revoked successful May. His existent determination is unknown.
In tribunal connected Friday, Gen. Lucien René Likulia representing the prosecution, besides asked, successful summation to the decease penalty, for a 20-year-sentence for Kabila's alleged condoning of warfare crimes and 15 years for conspiracy. The wide did not elaborate connected those charges oregon accidental what they referred to.
No day has yet been acceptable for the announcement of the verdict.
Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi past twelvemonth accused Kabila of backing the rebels and “preparing an insurrection” with them, a assertion Kabila denies.
Ferdinand Kambere, a erstwhile curate nether Kabila and existent caput of his party, the PPRD, said revoking Kabila's immunity arsenic senator-for-life was the commencement of the run against him.
"What we saw was genuinely a disgrace for the Republic,” Kambere told The Associated Press by phone.
Henry-Pacifique Mayala, a researcher and coordinator of the Kivu Security Tracker, told the AP that the prosecution's demands look to beryllium “more of a settling of scores league than a quest for truth.”
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This communicative has been corrected to accidental that Kabila is being tried for warfare crimes related to his ties to the M23 group, not for crimes committed portion helium was president. Also clarifies that helium has not been convicted yet and nary day has been acceptable for the verdict, alternatively than the sentencing.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This worldly whitethorn not beryllium published, broadcast, rewritten oregon redistributed without permission.
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