Roger Lumbala, 67, a former Congolese rebel leader, is on trial in Paris accused of complicity in crimes against humanity linked to the 1998–2003 Second Congo War. Arrested in France under universal jurisdiction in December 2020, he faces a potential life sentence if convicted. The case focuses on alleged 2002–2003 RCD-N abuses in Ituri and Haut-Uele, including rape used as a weapon against Nande and Bambuti communities. NGOs and UN investigators say the trial is a key opportunity to pursue accountability and deter further abuses in eastern DRC.
Ex-Rebel Roger Lumbala Faces Paris Trial Over Alleged Atrocities in DR Congo
Roger Lumbala, 67, a former Congolese rebel leader, is on trial in Paris accused of complicity in crimes against humanity linked to the 1998–2003 Second Congo War. Arrested in France under universal jurisdiction in December 2020, he faces a potential life sentence if convicted. The case focuses on alleged 2002–2003 RCD-N abuses in Ituri and Haut-Uele, including rape used as a weapon against Nande and Bambuti communities. NGOs and UN investigators say the trial is a key opportunity to pursue accountability and deter further abuses in eastern DRC.
02:14 PM, 11/12/2025Conflict
Roger Lumbala on Trial in Paris for Alleged War Crimes
Former Congolese rebel commander Roger Lumbala, 67, has gone on trial in Paris accused of complicity in crimes against humanity for actions linked to the 1998–2003 Second Congo War. French authorities say he was arrested under the principle of universal jurisdiction in December 2020 and has been detained in a Paris prison since. If convicted, he faces a possible sentence of life imprisonment.
Investigating magistrates assert that fighters from Lumbala's Uganda-backed Rally of Congolese Democrats and Nationalists (RCD-N) carried out widespread abuses in 2002 and 2003 in the northeastern Ituri and Haut-Uele provinces, including pillage, executions, rape and mutilation. UN investigators also allege that some attacks deliberately targeted Bambuti pygmy communities and members of the Nande ethnic group.
French prosecutors contend RCD-N fighters used rape as a "weapon of war", and that the offensive was at least in part aimed at securing access to the region's mineral wealth, including gold, diamonds and coltan. The contested eastern DRC has long seen fighting driven by competition over mineral resources, with dozens of armed groups — and on occasions external actors — vying for control of mines.
After the war, Lumbala ran for president in 2006 and later served as a government minister before being dismissed amid corruption allegations. He denies exercising command over armed men, says he was only a politician, and is expected to challenge the French court's jurisdiction to try him.
Dozens of alleged victims are scheduled to testify during hearings lasting more than a month, with a judge due to deliver a verdict on December 19. Human rights groups have welcomed the proceedings as an important test of accountability for atrocities in eastern DRC, though observers warn some witnesses may be unable to travel to Paris.
NGOs and international response
Non-governmental organisations including TRIAL International, the Clooney Foundation for Justice, Minority Rights Group, Justice Plus and PAP-RDC (which advocates for Bambuti communities) described the trial as "a crucial opportunity to deliver justice for survivors". UN bodies have also documented abuses in the region and highlighted links between armed operations and the scramble for resources.
"Holding Lumbala accountable for his actions sends a strong signal that abuses will be investigated and justice sought,"
said Samuel Ade Ndasi, a litigation officer with Minority Rights Group. "We believe this will act as a deterrent to those perpetrating such abuses now."
This trial is part of a broader push by international and local actors to address impunity for serious crimes committed during and after the Second Congo War, and to reinforce legal accountability for attacks that continue to destabilise eastern DRC.