The treason trial of the former president of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Joseph Kabila, has begun in a military court in the capital, Kinshasa.
He also faces other charges, such as murder, linked to his alleged support for M23 rebels - who control a large part of the mineral-rich east of the country. He denies the charges and has snubbed the hearing.
Kabila's successor, President Félix Tshisekedi, has accused him of being the brains behind the rebels.
The former president has rejected the case as "arbitrary" and said the courts were being used as an "instrument of oppression".
A ceasefire deal between the rebels and the government was agreed last week, but fighting has continued.
