Life sentence sought for DRC former rebel leader at French trial

This court sketch made on November 12, 2025, shows former Congolese rebel leader Roger Lumbala during his trial at the Assize Court in Paris. BENOIT PEYRUCQ / AFP

French prosecutors on Friday, December 12, sought a maximum sentence of life in prison for a former rebel leader accused of being one of the masterminds of atrocities in the Second Congo War.

Roger Lumbala, 67, is on trial in Paris accused of complicity in crimes against humanity during the 1998-2003 conflict. He denies the charges. A verdict is expected on Monday.

For human rights organizations, the trial is an historic opportunity to challenge the impunity enjoyed by warring parties in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, where fighting continues despite a "peace" agreement ratified in Washington in early December.

But Lumbala, who was arrested in France in December 2020, refused to attend the trial after its opening session, saying the court has no legitimacy. Lumbala, who briefly served as trade minister then ran for president in 2006, insists he was merely a politician with no soldiers or volunteers under his control.