The Democratic Republic of Congo has suspended the political party of former president Joseph Kabila, citing his alleged links to rebel groups.
In a statement issued Saturday, the interior ministry accused Kabila of “overt activism” and maintaining a “complicit silence” over the M23 rebellion in eastern DR Congo.
The People’s Party for Reconstruction and Democracy (PPRD), which Kabila still leads, is now banned from operating across the country.
The move follows recent raids by security forces on Kabila’s properties, including a farm near Kinshasa and a family compound in the capital.
Kabila, who ruled for 18 years until 2019, left DR Congo before the 2023 presidential election, but signaled plans to return amid national unrest.
Unconfirmed reports suggest he may be in Goma, a city now held by M23 fighters, further stoking fears of political destabilization.
President Félix Tshisekedi has accused Kabila of backing an insurrection and aligning with M23, which is widely believed to receive support from Rwanda.
Kabila has yet to directly address the allegations, but his party has rejected the suspension as “arbitrary” and politically motivated.
PPRD official Ferdinand Kambere said the action is a distraction from the government’s failure to control M23 and other armed groups.
He defended Kabila’s right to travel within the country and condemned what he called the abandonment of eastern regions by state forces.
The justice ministry has asked the chief prosecutor to begin legal proceedings against Kabila for alleged ties to M23 and “direct participation” in the rebellion.
The crisis comes amid a broader escalation of violence in eastern DR Congo, where M23 has captured major cities including Goma and Bukavu.
