Lt Gen Masunzu was arrested recently after leaving Kisangani, where he was scheduled to receive the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Congolese Armed Forces. Upon arrival at Kisangani airport, he was ordered onto a flight to Kinshasa without any of his security detail accompanying him.

According to a military official, Masunzu was accused by a Colonel working in the military statistics division in the third region, which Masunzu himself once commanded before his arrest.

The Colonel accused him of directly contributing to the FARDC’s defeat in the war against the AFC/M23, following the rebel capture of large areas in South and North Kivu; of maintaining close collaboration with the AFC/M23; of engaging in private talks with former president Joseph Kabila against national interests; and of harassing and discrediting senior officers in Kisangani, including the Colonel who is said to be closely linked to President Félix Tshisekedi.

The testimony alleges that before being detained, Masunzu chaired a meeting of military commanders in Kisangani and asked every soldier to introduce themselves.

One source said: “Masunzu started by saying his name was Masunzu Pacifique. One of the Colonels told him: ‘No true Congolese has only two names; we all have three.’”

According to reports, the remark provoked anger from Masunzu, triggering a dispute between the two senior officers. Following the confrontation, the Colonel submitted a negative report to President Tshisekedi, which is believed to have led to Masunzu’s arrest.

Sources say Masunzu is being held in strict solitary confinement at Makala Prison, with no visits or food deliveries allowed from outside, and that he is eating the standard prison meals.

Investigators are said to have found messages on his phone showing communication with Joseph Kabila, viewed as strong evidence that could severely undermine confidence from the military high command.

A senior officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Minembwe Capital News: “If he is not sentenced to death, he will be stripped of his rank and expelled from the army.”

State prosecutors are reportedly seeking a life sentence against Lt Gen Masunzu, based on the charges that relate to national security and alleged treason.