Security services in the Democratic Republic of Congo have conducted raids on properties belonging to former President Joseph Kabila, a family spokesperson disclosed on Thursday.
This development follows Kabila’s announcement of his impending return to the country’s volatile eastern region.
Current President Felix Tshisekedi has accused Kabila of orchestrating an “insurrection” and supporting an alliance that includes the M23 rebel group.
Adam Shemisi, the spokesperson for Kabila’s wife, Marie-Olive Lembe Kabila, stated that security services informed the manager of Kabila’s Kingakati farm, located east of Kinshasa, about a planned raid.
Raids were also carried out at a Kabila family compound within Kinshasa itself.
According to Shemisi, investigators claimed to be searching for “stolen or hidden” military equipment, but their efforts yielded no results.
Joseph Kabila governed DR Congo for eighteen years before stepping down in 2019 following widespread protests.
The 53-year-old former president reportedly left the country prior to the 2023 presidential election.
However, in a recent message conveyed through his staff, Kabila indicated his imminent return via the eastern region, citing the nation’s “perilous” state.
The exact timing of his return remains unclear, as does whether he intends to travel through territory currently under M23 control.
The M23 armed group is central to a resurgence of conflict in eastern DR Congo, having seized key cities like Goma and Bukavu.
The United Nations and several international entities have alleged that Rwanda supports the M23, accusations that Rwanda has vehemently denied.
