Officials from the party of Democratic Republic of Congo’s former President Joseph Kabila have been invited to appear before a military prosecutor on Monday, signaling rising political tensions over Rwanda-backed rebels’ advances in the east.
The exact reason for the invitations remains unclear, according to Jean Mbuyu, a lawyer for the officials and former security advisor to Kabila. However, the summons comes amid accusations by President Felix Tshisekedi that Kabila is sponsoring the M23 rebels, who have seized two of eastern Congo’s largest cities since January.
Kabila, who once formed an awkward power-sharing deal with Tshisekedi, has also reached out to opposition politicians and civil society members to discuss the country’s political future. This move follows criticism of Tshisekedi’s handling of the M23’s military campaign.
The military prosecutor’s office sent about 10 invitation letters to members of Kabila’s People’s Party for Reconstruction and Democracy (PPRD), though only three individuals are expected to appear for questioning in the capital, Kinshasa, on Monday.
Those summoned include Aubin Minaku, vice president of the PPRD and former president of the National Assembly, and Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary, a former interior minister and presidential candidate.
Jean Mbuyu stated that the officials would comply with the invitations “to avoid any suspicion” but denied any links to the M23 or other armed groups.
Minaku emphasized that the officials are taking a “purely Republican approach,” indicating loyalty to the country, and reiterated their condemnation of any illicit presence of foreign forces.
The M23’s recent advances mark a significant escalation in a long-running conflict rooted in the spillover from Rwanda’s 1994 genocide and the struggle for control of Congo’s vast mineral resources. Rwanda denies providing arms and troops to M23, claiming its forces are acting in self-defense against the Congolese army and militias hostile to Kigali.
