A high-stakes political maneuver is unfolding in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as two prominent figures close to President Félix Tshisekedi—Jean-Pierre Bemba and Taylor Lubanga—are reportedly leading an effort to bring former President Joseph Kabila before the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague.
Sources close to the administration describe the initiative as a calculated move to neutralize Kabila’s lingering influence, amid escalating tensions within Congo’s volatile political landscape.
Jean-Pierre Bemba, currently serving as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport, is no stranger to the ICC. A former warlord and vocal critic of Kabila—under whom he served in the 1+4 Transitional Government—Bemba was himself prosecuted by the ICC for crimes against humanity, spending a decade in detention before his acquittal in 2018.
Analysts suggest Bemba is leveraging his personal ties with ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan, who represented him during his trial, to bolster this new offensive. “Bemba is playing his all with Félix,” a parliamentarian from Tshisekedi’s Union Sacrée coalition remarked. “If Tshisekedi falters, Bemba’s political star dims again. For him, keeping Kabila out of the game is a matter of survival.”
Taylor Lubanga, a lawyer, professor at the University of Kinshasa, and Tshisekedi’s Mission Manager, is said to be the discreet architect of Kinshasa’s strategy to engage The Hague.
Once a collaborator of Kabilist ministers Evariste Boshab and Luzolo Bambi—both now aligned with the Sacred Union—Lubanga’s role as the president’s ICC focal point underscores his shift in allegiance. Insiders describe him as the “transmission belt” linking Tshisekedi’s administration to the international judiciary.
The push against Kabila comes as the former president, who stepped down in 2019 after 18 years in power, remains a polarizing figure with significant support among loyalists.
Bemba’s public criticism of his former boss has intensified in recent weeks, fueling speculation that this campaign is as much personal as it is political. “He can’t bear the thought of Kabila staging a comeback,” the Union Sacrée parliamentarian added.
The ICC now faces a delicate balancing act. Prosecutor Karim Khan must weigh the evidence against Kabila—yet to be publicly detailed—while navigating the optics of realpolitik and the Court’s own credibility, which has been questioned in recent years.
For many Congolese, accustomed to seeing national justice manipulated by those in power, this international gambit is met with skepticism. “We’ve seen this before—leaders using courts to settle scores,” said a Kinshasa resident who declined to be named. “Will The Hague be any different?”
Globally, advocates for an independent ICC watch closely. The outcome could either reinforce the Court’s reputation as a bastion of impartial justice or deepen doubts about its susceptibility to political influence.
As the Congolese await Khan’s next move, the specter of Kabila’s legacy looms large, threatening to reignite old rivalries in a nation still grappling with its turbulent past.