The Democratic Republic of Congo has officially suspended the political party of former president Joseph Kabila, just days after security forces raided several of his properties.
The Ministry of Interior, in a statement dated Saturday, cited Kabila’s “overt political activism” as the reason for suspending all activities of the People’s Party for Reconstruction and Democracy (PPRD), which he continues to lead despite stepping down from power in 2019 after an 18-year rule.
The suspension comes amid growing tension between Kabila and current President Félix Tshisekedi, who has accused the former leader of attempting to orchestrate an insurrection and supporting an opposition alliance that includes the M23 rebel group—currently engaged in clashes with the Congolese army in the country’s volatile east.
Kabila, 53, reportedly left DR Congo prior to the 2023 presidential election, but in a statement released through his staff earlier this month, he announced plans to return, claiming the country was “in peril.” Unconfirmed reports suggest he may already be in the eastern city of Goma.
On Thursday, a spokesperson for the Kabila family revealed that state security forces raided the ex-president’s primary farm outside Kinshasa and a separate family residence in the capital.
The interior ministry accused Kabila’s party of maintaining a “complicit silence” regarding what it termed the “Rwandan war of aggression”—a reference to M23’s activities. Multiple international observers, including the UN, have linked Rwanda to the rebel group, though Rwanda continues to deny any involvement.
Authorities criticized Kabila for never condemning the M23 insurgency and for choosing to re-enter the country through Goma, a city they describe as under enemy influence. The justice ministry has also asked the chief prosecutor to begin legal proceedings against Kabila over his alleged direct involvement with M23.
AFP
