Category World News

Joseph Kabila, the former head of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, was sentenced to death on Tuesday by a high military court on suspicion of treason, war crimes, and other serious crimes in connection with the country’s eastern border.

Kabila was sentenced in absentia for alleged collaboration with the Rwanda-backed rebel group, M23, which launched lightning offensives in January this year and seized swaths of territory, including the strategic eastern hub of Goma. Nearly a million people were forced to flee and over 3, 000 people died as a result of the group’s advance.

The DRC government and M23 rebels’ representatives have been negotiating slowly for peace since July, which Qatar has mediated. However, Kabila’s sentence raises the possibility that the conflict will get worse and the country’s divided political system will get worse.

The DRC has been in the throes of a decades-long conflict, which escalated in January. Despite the ceasefire in the peace negotiations, there are still reports of violence. Kabila, who served as president between 2001 and 2019, has accused the current president of using the courts to settle political disputes. He is competing with Felix Tshisekedi in the political debate.

Here’s what you need to know about Kabila’s sentencing:

What was the ruling?

A panel of experts from the UN found Kabila guilty of treason, war crimes, conspiracy, and organizing an insurrection with the M23 rebel group, which he supported. The group claims that Tshisekedi’s overthrow is their goal. Rwanda denies being the force behind M23.

By a majority vote, Lieutenant General Joseph Mutombo Katalayi, who presided over the DRC’s military tribunal, found Kabila guilty of “war crimes committed by intentional murder, war crimes committed by rape, war crimes committed by torture, and war crimes committed by attacks against protected property,”

It imposes the death penalty, the most severe sentence, under Article 7 of the Military Penal Code, according to Katalayi.

The court also ordered the former president to pay $29bn in damages to the DRC government, and $2bn each to the war-affected regions of North Kivu and South Kivu, in the eastern DRC. According to legend, Kabila was actually born in the South Kivu area.

North Kivu and South Kivu provinces were represented by prosecutor Richard Bondo during the trial, who praised the court’s ruling. “Justice rendered in the name of the Congolese people gives satisfaction to its people”, Bondo told reporters outside the court.

Kabila was not present, and his legal team did not.

What is Kabila’s identity, and why is he facing legal action?

Kabila, 53, took office at age 29, following the assassination of his father and former president, Laurent Kabila. He served in the Congo Wars as the army’s chief of staff. 2016 saw the end of Kabila’s term, which was fraught with allegations of corruption and human rights violations. He unconstitutionally delayed elections until December 2018, citing voter registry challenges.

Kabila and opposition candidate Tshisekedi of the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS) were forced to agree to a power-sharing deal after the election when the candidate he supported lost. Kabila’s People’s Party for Reconstruction and Democracy (PPRD) allies were able to have their names removed from the cabinet as a result of the agreement. However, in 2020, Tshisekedi ended the alliance after he began systematically removing Kabila’s allies from government.

Kabila and his close allies were accused of corruption charges by the DRC government in November 2021. Kabila reportedly has been living in South Africa since April 2023 when she was under increasing pressure to enter self-imposed exile.

He was largely quiet until February 2025, when he wrote an opinion editorial in the Sunday Times, a South African newspaper, accusing Tshisekedi of attempting to hold on to power, and of mishandling the ongoing conflict with M23. President Tshisekedi claimed Kabila financially supported the rebel group during a speech at the Munich Security Conference the same month.

In the past, the president said Kabila’s close links to rebel leader Corneille Nangaa, who is allied with the M23, were proof of his relations with the rebels. Under Kabila, Nangaa oversaw the 2018 elections that resulted in Tshisekedi becoming president. In 2021, he and Tshisekedi broke up over how the elections were conducted, formed the rebel Alliance of the Congo River (ACF), and teamed up with the rebels in December of that year.

Reports that Kabila landed in Goma in April angered Tshikedi’s government, prompting it to ban the PPRD and order Kabila’s assets seized. In order to prepare for a trial, the DRC parliament overwhelmingly voted in favor of lifting Kabila’s presidential immunity, which shields former presidents from prosecution if they don’t commit “gross misconduct.” In a YouTube video, Kabila responded, calling the Tshisekedi government a “dictatorship.” He also presented a 12-point peace plan he said could end the conflict in the east.

Kabila was in Goma for a meeting with local religious leaders and other residents two days later, according to the M23. No formal alliance existed between his party and M23, despite the fact that both had the “same goal” of overthrowing Tshisekedi, according to a member of his entourage.

In July, the military trial against Kabila began. According to the court, prosecutors on Tuesday provided evidence linking Eric Nkuba, a former Nangaa employee who was found guilty of rebellion in August of that year and is currently imprisoned, to Kabila’s testimony. Nangaa and Tshisekedi exchanged phone calls about their plans to overthrow Tshisekedi, according to the court.

Where is Kabila now?

Location of the former president is not known at this time. He was last seen in public in May after Goma was confirmed to have him. The military court on Tuesday ordered his immediate arrest.

What is meant by the sentence?

Goma-based legal analyst, Nzanzu Masomeko Hubert, faulted the trial, saying concrete evidence against Kabila was lacking. According to him, the sentencing runs the risk of stifling the ongoing Doha discussions with the M23, which according to researchers are only going to continue slowly and with great success because of both sides’ grandstanding.

Hubert, a member of the provincial government, told Al Jazeera, “I believe this trial was politically motivated.” “Convicting Joseph Kabila for his alleged links to the AFC/M23 while the government is negotiating with the M23 in Doha is inconsistent. He claimed that it was in opposition to the need to “enforce national unity,” particularly in this difficult time.”

Kambale Musavuli, a staffer for the US-based Center for Research on Congo-Kinshasa, claimed that Kabila’s trial represented “dramatic punishment” rather than a thorough investigation of the numerous allegations against the former president or a more comprehensive transitional justice system for the DRC, which the UN has recommended since the civil war.

“Congolese people want accountability indeed (but) Joseph Kabila’s gravest betrayals go far beyond his recent contacts with M23”, he said, citing allegations of fraudulent elections under Kabila’s watch and failed promises by his government to investigate killings of opposition members and activists during his term.

“Selective justice directed at one man for political reasons risks more harm than good.” Musavuli reaffirmed that real justice must be objective, accessible, and inclusive.

Meanwhile, some residents of Goma, where calm has largely prevailed following fighting earlier in the year, have voiced concerns that the sentencing could prompt a violent reaction from the M23.

Analysts warned that the political unrest in the nation, where Kabila still enjoys considerable influence, could grow. A temporary ban on executions that had been in place since 2003 was lifted by the DRC in March 2024 to deter military personnel from collaborating with M23 or engaging in mutiny. Thirteen soldiers were sentenced to death in January, but no executions have been carried out.

The fragile peace with Rwanda and the increased violence in the DRC could become even more unstable.

Following negotiations led by Qatar and the United States, the two nations signed a peace agreement in June 2025. It is separate from the Qatar-mediated peace deal signed in July between the DRC and M23.

What was the response of Kabila’s allies and M23?

PPRD permanent secretary Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary criticized the court’s sentence as a “political, unfair decision” in an interview with The Associated Press.

“We believe that the clear intention of the dictatorship in power is to eliminate, to neutralise, a major political actor”, Shadary is quoted as saying.

In international waters, Israeli forces intercept several aid boats and detain activists onboard. They were attempting to overthrow Israel’s illegal siege of Gaza with the Global Sumud Flotilla.

A magnitude 6.9 earthquake has caused at least 72 fatalities and thousands of people to be left homeless in Al Jazeera’s Barnaby Lo, which has witnessed the destruction.

According to British police, a car was driven into pedestrians and a man was stabbed close to a synagogue in Manchester, northwest England, on Thursday, killing two people and injuring three others.

In response to the attack, which occurred on Yom Kippur, the most holy day of the Jewish calendar, police were dispatched to synagogues across the nation, according to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

What transpired?

Witnesses reported seeing a car being rammed into people walking in Crumpsall, a Manchester suburb, near the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue. A man was also reportedly stabbed, according to them.

A member of the public called Greater Manchester Police at 9:31 am (08:31 GMT) to the incident site.

At 9:37 a.m., GMP declared a significant incident. Greater Manchester Police firearms officers fired shots at 9:38 a.m., according to the police.

At 9:41 a.m. (08:41 GMT), paramedics arrived at the scene and treated the public.

The North West Ambulance Service of the National Health Service (NHS) announced in a statement that its personnel had treated patients at the scene and that seriously ill people had been taken to the hospital.

The attack occurred on Yom Kippur, the Jewish holiday of atonement, when many people who don’t frequent synagogues go to synagogues to pray and fast.

Where in Manchester was the attack, exactly?

The Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue, which is located in Crumpsall, north of Manchester, was the site of the attack.

According to Manchester City Council, there are about 18 000 residents living in Crumpsall. The suburb’s transportation system and bus lines travel 3 miles (5 kilometers) to the city center.

Since 1935, there has been a Jewish congregation in Crumpsall. 1967 saw the completion of the large Ashkenazi Orthodox synagogue.

What are the victims’ details known to us?

Three people have been seriously hurt in the attack, according to the police, and two have already died. Their identities have not been made public.

What are the attacker’s details known to us?

The attacker was shot, but police did not reveal who he was.

The Greater Manchester Police posted the phrase “one man has been shot, believed to be the offender.”

The attacker is reportedly dead, according to the police. In an X-post, it stated that “it cannot currently be confirmed due to safety concerns surrounding] his person having suspicious items.”

What has been the government’s response?

Starmer left a meeting with Danish presidents of the European Union early to deal with the incident.

According to Starmer, “we will do everything to keep our Jewish community safe,” adding that additional police forces are already being deployed to synagogues across the nation.

Starmer added, “This is all the more horrific because it took place on Yom Kippur, the most holy day in the Jewish calendar,” in an X post.

In an X-post, Starmer’s Labour Party member of the British parliament wrote: “I’m horrified to learn about this incident at a synagogue I’ve been proud to visit. Everyone affected shares my thoughts with me.

What’s happening right now in the field?

The Greater Manchester Police have urged residents to avoid the area while the officers deal with the situation.

They added that many of the people who had come together to worship in the synagogue were initially confined for safety, but have since been displaced.

Following the attack, the police claimed they had “declared PLATO.” The British police refer to an incident that is being investigated as a Marauding Terrorist Attack (MTA), in which assailants move swiftly through a location, trying to kill or hurt as many people as possible. This does not imply that the incident has been labeled a terrorist attack.

For people to inquire about their loved ones and friends who might have been present at the scene, the police have opened a public portal and a casualty bureau. Additionally, the portal asks those who were injured and are now safe to report it online.

Has the UK experienced any other hate crimes?

Yes . Recently, there have been more instances of anti-Semitism in the UK.

The UK-based Community Security Trust (CST), which promotes the welfare of British Jews, reported 3, 528 anti-Semitism in 2024, which is the second-highest level of anti-Semitism ever to be reported by CST in a single calendar year. In 19% of the cases, synagogues were the subject of damage.

The highest number was recorded in 2023, which included 4 296 incidents.

34 students were ordered to move to the UK on September 17 to begin their education in Gaza. Many of them had submitted their visa applications before I did mine. I still felt peace and joy when I learned their exit. Finally, they were secure and on their way to new beginnings. I maintained my upbeat spirits, anticipating the start of my turn. However, I was shocked to find that there were 17 more names on the list, but mine wasn’t one of them when the next evacuation list arrived on September 29.

This mystery is also affecting me, too. I am aware of at least eight other students in Gaza who have been accepted into prestigious universities for higher education in the UK, but they haven’t been listed as eligible for evacuation despite meeting the requirements set forth by the UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) for the visas they have received.

Our fully funded scholarships at renowned UK universities are now in danger due to unreliable and inconsistent delays in the evacuation process and not because our institutions failed to represent us. On September 29, my University of Birmingham program officially began. My place has already been fully secured thanks to a Sanctuary Scholarship, which covers tuition, living expenses, and other expenses. I’m still a prisoner of war in Gaza and await confirmation that it never arrives.

I reacted with cheer when the first cohort left. I urged myself and the other students who had been mysteriously excluded from the evacuation list to be wary of comparison and desperation. The turn would be for everyone. After months of waiting, applications, interviews, and almost constant fear, the evacuation process finally arrived. Then, with only 17 names on the list, the next list arrived. None of the early applicants who were still waiting, in my opinion, were on it. Students who had submitted their visa applications weeks after we were contacted were also contacted. Some had already applied days before they were evacuated.

In case the government’s email arrives, I check my phone every day and night and sleep with it on my pillow. My university, my MP, and my lawyer have assured me that I am indeed eligible because I meet all the requirements, have filled out all the forms, and passed all the hurdles. The Foreign, Commonwealth, Development Office (FCDO) and the Home Office have received the same documents more than once. My accommodation has been reserved and I’m waiting for my arrival. My funding is guaranteed. No unresolved questions or missing paperwork are present. I wait, though.

There might be additional evacuation waves. However, there will undoubtedly be fewer names on each new list. There is no longer a long wait between me and my fellow students. The chance of our futures and scholarships disappearing increases with each passing day.

How the names are being included has been revealed in this ordeal, which is deeply troubling. Why did applicants come in later than we did prioritized? Why are some applications processed so quickly that some people’s names are listed on an evacuation list a few days after submitting the forms? Why do other applications, like mine, seem to have been forgotten? Why am I uninformed despite meeting every prerequisite?

Nobody can respond to these inquiries, not even the MPs, MPs, or even the attorneys who are the best at explaining the procedures. I’m left to wonder if I’m being put further back in the queue each time because the procedure is opaque. Every student who is still waiting to see their names on that crucial list is in my greatest fear, and that the same pattern will continue to be present: every new wave will prioritize new applicants while we are indefinitely delayed. Without explanation or accountability, we are relegated to a process we are unable to comprehend or challenge.

The psychological strain of this limbo is difficult to quantify. The same routine is followed every morning: check the inbox, check the email, and check the phone. Nothing . While I wait in the dark and put my dreams on hold, friends from abroad update me about lectures beginning. In case someone finally remembers me while I sleep, the phone beside me ends the night in the same manner. Here, there are a lot of disappointment, disappointment, and despair in the air. Every delay is a step closer to losing my place and the opportunity to continue my education abroad, far from the war, than just a lost day. The only way out of this difficult reality and the only way to rebuild ourselves and repair the broken parts of ourselves is for many of us, not just a delay, but a slow erasure of our future.

The University of Birmingham has remained committed to me and repeatedly contacted relevant authorities in my name. However, there is only so much that the university can do. The consequences will be devastating if I can’t leave right away. These awards are perpetual. Missing the academic year’s start could mean completely losing the funding. My place will be given away if I don’t arrive on time because my housing has already been secured and paid for. These are competitively priced degrees offered by renowned universities. I competed with international competitors for this position for years while being under siege and bombardment. It would be devastating to lose it right now as a result of bureaucratic silence. I received the Sanctuary Scholarship, along with other initiatives like it, to demonstrate my solidarity and demonstrate that those living in conflict can get a lifeline through education.

I don’t request any special treatment. Simply put, I request that my visa be processed. I’ve submitted every document and requested item. The criteria used to determine who gets evacuated are opaque, which is what I lack. Why are some students in the queue advanced while others are ignored despite having the same circumstances? Without any solutions, I feel sluggish and worn out. And I worry that my future will be wiped out if I don’t take action right away.

The end of the world has already arrived. I was informed in my most recent correspondence with the university that if I don’t arrive by the 17th of this month, I’ll lose the place I’ve worked so hard for and, along with it, the future I’ve fought for through war, loss, and sacrifice. I ask those with the power to act, in the face of all the threats, to refrain from silently destroying our futures.