Kabila back in headlines as DRC turmoil spirals: ex-president linked to war-crimes case amid east Congo fighting and treason charges. Born 1971, ruled 2001–2019.
A French UNICEF employee was killed in a drone strike in Goma, eastern DRC, amid ongoing conflict involving M23 rebels and government forces. The attack, blamed by M23 on the Congolese army, highlights persistent violence despite peace efforts. International leaders call for respect of humanitarian law.
On March 17, 2026, a Brussels court ordered 93-year-old Etienne Davignon, former European Commission vice president and junior diplomat in 1960, to face war crimes charges for his alleged role in the 1961 assassination of Congolese independence leader Patrice Lumumba. This marks the first prosecution of a Belgian official linked to Lumumba's murder, a pivotal event symbolizing colonial-era injustices.
The M23 rebels and allied forces are facing ongoing conflict in eastern Congo as U.S.-brokered peace efforts falter. President Tshisekedi faces renewed calls to revise the constitution while fighting persists, threatening elections and stability in the region.