The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has suspended the political party of former President Joseph Kabila and ordered the seizure of his assets, accusing him of supporting Rwandan-backed M23 rebels in the country’s eastern region.
The government announced the decision to suspend the party, citing alleged acts amounting to high treason.
Kabila, who ruled the DRC from 2001 to 2019, has expressed his desire to return to the country to help resolve the ongoing conflict.
However, the Interior Ministry stated that his Party for Reconstruction and Democracy (PPRD) was suspended for aiding the M23 rebels, while the Justice Ministry ordered the seizure of assets belonging to Kabila and other party leaders.
Prosecutors have been instructed to initiate legal proceedings, though no specific details of the accusations have been disclosed.
Ferdinand Kambere, secretary of the PPRD, condemned the suspension, calling it a “flagrant violation of Congo’s constitution and laws.”
The move comes amid escalating violence in the mineral-rich eastern provinces, where the M23 rebels have captured two major cities since the start of the year.
The region has endured decades of conflict rooted in the spillover from Rwanda’s 1994 genocide and struggles over control of valuable mineral resources.
Kabila, who came to power following his father’s assassination, stepped down in 2019 after years of protests against his rule.
