Kabila is charged with various crimes, including treason, war-related offenses, and joining a group plotting to overthrow the government namely M23. He was first stripped of the immunity he previously enjoyed before being put on trial, although he is not currently in the custody of the Congolese state.

The Kinshasa government also accuses Kabila of financing M23, a group it classifies as a threat to national security. However, Kabila says  Tshisekedi’s administration chose to accuse him of these crimes to cover up its own wrongdoing and weaknesses.

ALSO READ: M23 Accuses DRC Government to Cover Crimes Against Tutsi and Banyamulenge

According to Mail & Guardian, on August 29 President Mnangagwa received Ramaphosa in Harare, Zimbabwe, where the South African president opened an agricultural trade fair  an occasion that also provided an opportunity for discussions.

Alongside this event, the two heads of state reportedly discussed Kabila’s situation in the DRC and concluded that the treason charges against him lack basis.

Among the points agreed upon by the two leaders was the preparation of talks that would bring together Joseph Kabila and Tshisekedi, with the aim of fostering reconciliation between the two political figures.

It has not been long since President Tshisekedi visited South Africa for talks with his counterpart, although the details of that short visit were not made public.

ALSO READ: Corneille Nangaa Addresses Claims of Rwandan Support for AFC/M23

South Africa and Zimbabwe are key partners of Congo and were among those who supported the country during its war with the M23 group in the battles over North and South Kivu.

On September 12, 2025, DRC’s High Military Court rejected a motion for Joseph Kabila’s trial to restart from the beginning, after lawyers representing the DRC government informed the judges that new witnesses were ready to testify against Kabila  though for now, everything about Kabila’s case remains uncertain.