Yesterday, in a senate session chaired by Sama Lukonde, the Kinshasa regime played yet another of its pathetic political cards.
Lawmakers voted to remove the immunity of former President Joseph Kabila and ruled that he “should be pursued in courts of law for treason and other trumped up charges.” Now they are ready to weaponize their kangaroo courts against the former head of state.
According to Tshisekedi’s cronies in the senate, Kabila is “suspected of working with M23” and that he visited some of its controlled areas. Yet no credible proof has been shown to pin Kabila, and they are working on nothing but political rumors.
Let’s remember, Kabila stepped down in 2019 without clinging to power, something rare in DRC.
If he truly was a threat to national security, would he have peacefully stepped down after nearly two decades in power?
Kabila’s exit was one of the few peaceful transfers of power in Congo’s history—something Tshisekedi himself benefitted from.
Instead of focusing on Congo’s real crises—a collapsing economy, rising insecurity, and public anger—Tshisekedi’s government is turning to blame games as usual and asset seizures. Of course, what the senate is doing has nothing to do with Justice, it is a forced grabbing of property disguised in the will of the senate.
The timing of this move also raises questions than answers. Tshisekedi seems to be using the justice system as a political weapon. Going after a former president to distract the public from its grievances and shield himself from accountability. It’s a tactic straight from the playbook of weak regimes—create a villain to distract from your own failures.
Definitely, the attack on Kabila is not a show of strength—it’s a sign of panic and if movements like M23 are offering an alternative vision, perhaps it’s time to listen. Because for ordinary Congolese, anything that promises peace, stability, and honest leadership sounds far better than the chaos Kinshasa keeps delivering.