Former Congolese President Joseph Kabila is on a mission to “save” his warring country. But after being exiled from the nation he ruled for nearly two decades, it’s unclear if Kabila will ever get the chance. As war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo rages, the story of Kabila is both a cautionary tale and one of hope. Here’s how it all began.
Suggested Reading
Kabila took over as the fourth president of the Congo in 2001, just days after his father, President Laurent-Désiré Kabila, was assassinated during the Second Congo War. According to reports, the then-29-year-old was forced to fill his father’s shoes —and what’s more, the pressure was on him to be a better leader for all the people of the Congo.
He introduced a new national Constitution and promised to bring Democracy to the nation. In 2006, the country held its first truly Democratic election. But soon, bubbling disdain for Kabila would spill over once another leader was chosen.
Much of the chaos in the Congo can be traced back to King Leopold II of Belgium, who was responsible for the murders of 10 million Congolese people during his reign from 1885 to 1908, according to the official website of the Belgian Monarchy.
Fast forward to now, when over 5.4 million people have been killed due to the ongoing conflict. President Kabila ruled until 2019, and then, his successor, Felix Tshisekedi, took over. The two men initially presented themselves as allies, with Kabila allegedly rigging the election to swing in Tshisekedi’s favor.
Kabila never confirmed or denied influencing the election. But he told The New York Times during an interview that he did what he could to ensure a safe transition. “We, in our very wise way of thinking, thought in order for the situation to continue to be as stable as it was, it was important for the president to have the majority and for there to be a coalition,” Kabila told the outlet. “And that’s the agreement that was signed.”
The agreement fell apart in 2020, according to Reuters, but Kabila maintained political influence as the country’s sole “senator for life–” thanks to that 2006 constitution. In December 2023, the former president fled his home country to South Africa as political tensions worsened for him. Just because he was gone from the Congo doesn’t mean Kabila was completely removed, however.
“You can play games with quite a lot of things, but one of those should not be the leadership of a country,” the former leader said. “With hindsight, those are things that we could and should have changed.”
During a May 2025 live-streamed speech, Kabila criticized Tshisekedi’s government and even paid a publicized visit to Goma, a city in the Congo currently under M23 rebel control, the Times also reported. Kabila’s return raised suspicions that he acted as a leader in the M23 movement, which reemerged after a failed agreement between the Congo and rebel groups, according to the Guardian.
This eventually led to Kabila being put on trial for treason and crimes against humanity– murder, rape and torture– and sentenced to death in September 2025, BBC reported. Now, he’s back on the run.
According to the Times, Kabila spends his days pursuing a doctorate degree and dodging frequent attacks on his life. “I think I’ve been living in a cave for a long time,” he said. “I’ve become a cave man.” Still, he said he’s waiting and hoping that a new movement in the Congo will “really put it back on track.” Kabila’s whereabouts remain unknown.
Straight From 
Sign up for our free daily newsletter.