By Christian Martinez
WASHINGTON, April 30 (Reuters) – The United States imposed sanctions on former Democratic Republic of Congo President Joseph Kabila, according to the Treasury Department website.
Kinshasa has long accused the former president of assisting the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels in Congo’s troubled east.Â
Last year, Kabila was sentenced to death in absentia in a military court in Kinshasa for war crimes, treason, and crimes against humanity. The case stemmed from his alleged role in backing the rebels.
Kabila has denied wrongdoing and said the judiciary has been politicised.
Kabila spent almost two decades in power and only stepped down after deadly protests against him. Since late 2023, he has been residing mostly in South Africa, though he did appear in rebel-held Goma in eastern Congo in May.
Tshisekedi’s government has moved to suspend Kabila’s political party and seize the assets of its leaders.
(Reporting by Daphne Psaledakis and Humeyra Pamuk, Writing by Christian Martinez and Jessica Donati; Editing by Ryan Patrick Jones)
