A distinguished African man in a suit during an evening event, highlighting professionalism and cultural elegance.
Joseph Kabila, who led the Democratic Republic of Congo for 18 years, is now a hunted man. Convicted of treason and sentenced to death in absentia, he currently lives under the protection of the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group in Goma—a city the militia seized in 2025. In his first major interview in eight years, the 54-year-old hinted at rigging Congo’s 2018 election, which installed his successor, Félix Tshisekedi, through a backroom deal. Their alliance quickly collapsed, forcing Kabila into exile in South Africa. He returned after M23 captured Goma last year. Congo’s government accuses him of covertly leading the rebels, a charge he dismisses as “stupidity.” Nevertheless, the M23 militia gains political legitimacy by hosting the country’s former head of state. Meanwhile, President Tshisekedi loses sovereign authority as he is unable to enforce a treason conviction against his chief rival. While there is movement towards peace on both sides, Kabila’s alignment with an armed insurgency could still plunge Congo into renewed regional proxy wars.
The New York Times