DRC’s Tshisekedi Frees Opposition Leader, Ex-President’s Ally From Detention
Jean-Marc Kabund, an opposition leader and former right-hand man to the president, was released on Friday, according to his lawyer.
This act terminates his imprisonment on allegations of contempt of the head of state.
In 2022, the former vice president of parliament and politician clashed with President Felix Tshisekedi, prompting him to form his own political party.
#RDC: Jean Marc Kabund en route pour sa résidence… pic.twitter.com/gv4hJE7Qgf
— Kongomani Julva Mbemba (@MBEMBAJulva1) February 21, 2025
He was captured in August of that year and sentenced to seven years behind bars.
His lawyer, Ghislain Mwanji, told Reuters that Kabund was free but did not go into additional information. The judicial ministry has also verified his release.
Libération de Jean-Marc @Kabund À Kabund: Résultat palpable de la #révolution constitutionnelle menée par l’#AFC/M23. En maintenant les leaders politiques arbitrairement en prison, Félix Tshisekedi s’est enfoncé davantage en donnant des béquilles à la lutte armée en République… pic.twitter.com/fzFNjh3xqM
— Simaro Ngongo Case (@SimaroNgongoMba) February 22, 2025
Kabund has been granted a presidential pardon, according to a representative for the President’s Office.
His release comes as Kinshasa’s authorities face increasing pressure as a result of a battle in eastern provinces with Rwandan-backed M23 rebels.
The rebels’ recent control of two key cities has fueled worries of a larger conflict in the region.
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The crisis has sparked widespread skepticism about Tshisekedi’s ability to govern the security and political situation, with some members of the fractured opposition openly predicting that his administration will not endure.
Kabund was a key figure in Tshisekedi’s climb to prominence, and their disagreement exposed major flaws in the country’s leadership.
In 2022, he claimed that the case against him demonstrated how Congolese institutions were being misused for political benefit.
At the time, Human Rights Watch described his incarceration as an example of the administration’s escalating hostility toward dissenting voices.
DRC’s Tshisekedi Frees Opposition Leader, Ex-President’s Ally From Detention
