The Court of Cassation recently announced the postponement of the date for the delivery of the judgment in the trial between the national deputy and former first vice-president of the National Assembly of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Jean-Marc Kabund , to the Public Ministry. Initially expected on September 6, the verdict will finally be delivered within a period of up to seven days.
This postponement comes after the Court of Cassation requested a three-year prison sentence against Jean-Marc Kabund, following twelve counts against him. These charges include insulting Parliament, the government of the Republic, insulting the Head of State, and spreading false rumours. However, the accused continues to plead not guilty, claiming to have only relayed information from reliable sources.
This trial highlights the existing tensions between the power in place and the opposition, just a few months before the next elections. Jean-Marc Kabund, considered the strategist of the Sacred Union coalition, has positioned himself as an opponent of President Félix Tshisekedi, describing the latter as a danger to the state. By creating his own political party, the Alliance for Change, he aspires to run as a candidate in the next presidential election, denouncing the exercise of power by Tshisekedi to the detriment of the Congolese people.
Despite his house arrest and the lifting of his parliamentary immunity, Jean-Marc Kabund remains imprisoned in Makala prison. This trial therefore arouses real attention, because it bears witness to the power games and political issues in the DRC.
The uncertainty about the final verdict leaves the Congolese population in feverish expectation, as the deadline for the next elections draws near. The outcome of this trial and the fate of Jean-Marc Kabund will have a significant impact on the political landscape of the DRC and could influence the electoral dynamics to come. Observers therefore remain attentive to every development in this affair, which is now one of the major events on the Congolese political scene.
For more information, see our article: “The Jean-Marc Kabund affair: the verdict finally delivered, the political future at stake”. [Insert article link here]