NewsHail
25 May 2025
Joseph Kabila is the former president of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo). He said the current government is a "dictatorship."
He made a 45-minute speech live on YouTube on Friday night. He spoke from an unknown place. This was one day after the Senate took away his legal protection.
The DR Congo government wants to charge Kabila with treason and war crimes. They say he helped the M23 rebels. These rebels, backed by Rwanda, took over some towns in the east.
Kabila was president from 2001 to 2019. He said he spoke out because the country’s unity is in danger.
Experts say if Kabila is put on trial, it could make the country less stable. DR Congo has fought the M23 rebels since 2012.
The current president, Félix Tshisekedi, has not answered Kabila’s speech. In it, Kabila shared a 12-point plan. He said it could help stop the fighting in the east.
Kabila wore a navy suit and a pin with the Congolese flag. He stood at a podium and gave an "address to the nation." The speech began and ended with the national anthem.
His spokesperson shared the YouTube link. But it was later deleted. Many other accounts shared the video.
Kabila and Tshisekedi used to be allies. But their political parties split in 2020.
Kabila has lived outside the country for two years. He left to study for a doctorate in South Africa.
In his speech, Kabila said the government made unfair decisions last month. They said he went to the city of Goma in the east.
Because of this, the government banned his party, the People’s Party for Reconstruction and Democracy (PPRD). They also took his property.
Kabila said this shows that democracy is getting worse in the country.
He said he plans to visit Goma soon. The city is under control of the M23 rebels since January. Kabila is safe there and will not be arrested.
Kabila also blamed the president for trying to change the constitution. He said parliament does not check the president. He said the courts are used for politics.
He criticized the government for poor handling of the economy and high corruption. The country’s debt has grown to over $10 billion.
Kabila, who was a general, said the government failed on security. He said the army is replaced by mercenaries and armed groups.
He said some of these groups are militias and foreign forces. These groups have caused chaos.
He named one group: the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR). They are an ethnic Hutu militia. They took part in the 1994 Rwandan genocide and are still in eastern DR Congo.
Rwanda says the FDLR rebels threaten its safety. Rwandan troops are in DR Congo supporting the M23. The M23 is led by ethnic Tutsis. They say they fight to protect their people’s rights.
Kabila asked for all foreign troops to leave DR Congo. He welcomed a decision by the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) to pull out troops. These troops were helping fight the M23.
Kabila said his 18 years in power brought good results. But those have been lost.
He said, “In six years, we are back to a failed and divided state. The country is near collapse. It is very corrupt and deeply in debt.”
People have mixed feelings about his speech. Some say it is ironic. Many complaints Kabila made about Tshisekedi’s government were also said about Kabila’s own time in power.
He said near the end, “The dictatorship must end. Democracy and good leadership must return.”
Kabila said the government agreed to talk with M23. But he said talks backed by the Catholic church should also happen.
DR Congo and Rwanda both say they want peace. They may be close to a deal to stop the fighting.
Both countries signed a first agreement in Washington last month. They said they agreed on a way to peace.
