Civil parties in the ongoing treason trial of former Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) President Joseph Kabila are seeking nearly $25 billion in reparations, accusing him of enabling violence carried out by rebels in the country’s mineral-rich east.
Kabila faces charges including murder, rape, and torture tied to his alleged support for Rwanda-backed M23 rebels, who continue to control swathes of territory in eastern DRC.
His successor, President Félix Tshisekedi, has directly accused him of masterminding the group.
At a military court in Kinshasa, lawyers for civil parties demanded that Kabila also be convicted of espionage, describing him as a “Rwandan citizen.”
In addition, the provinces of South Kivu, Ituri, and North Kivu are separately demanding $21 billion in compensation and the seizure of the former president’s bank assets.
Kabila, who returned to Goma in May after two years of self-imposed exile in South Africa, is being tried in absentia.
He has rejected the proceedings as “arbitrary,” calling them an “instrument of oppression.”
Although former Congolese presidents normally enjoy lifetime immunity as senators-for-life, parliament stripped Kabila of this protection in May, clearing the way for prosecution.
The trial is now entering a decisive stage, with the army’s attorney general expected to deliver closing arguments on Friday.