US EditionTrial of Former Congolese Rebel Leader Lumbala over Wartime Atrocities Opens in Paris
Roger Lumbala Tshitenga faces charges for crimes during the Second Congo War, marking the first universal jurisdiction trial for DRC war crimes by a former minister.
- In Paris, on Wednesday, November 12, 2025, Roger Lumbala Tshitenga faces trial for alleged crimes in North Kivu and Ituri between 2002 and 2003, after his 2020 arrest and 2023 indictment under universal jurisdiction.
- Faced with domestic gaps, the Democratic Republic of Congo's failure to investigate prompted French authorities to prosecute under the universal jurisdiction principle, marking the first such trial for Congo crimes by a Congolese national.
- During Operation 'Effacer le Tableau', Lumbala is accused of involvement in killings, torture, rape, and cannibalism against civilians including the Mbuti and Nande in Beni, Ituri.
- Survivors, who waited more than two decades, see the trial as a crucial step for justice and a rare case against a former minister, Amnesty International said.
- The case invites other states applying universal jurisdiction to investigate, as governments and justice institutions should strengthen efforts amid the Congo conflict spanning over 30 years.
63 Articles
63 Articles
Roger Lumbala is accused of horrific war crimes in DRC: can his trial in France bring justice?
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been called “the worst place on earth to be a woman” and “the rape capital of the world”. A 2014 survey estimated that 22% of women and 10% of men had experienced sexual violence during the conflict in the country’s east. After years of impunity, Roger Lumbala, a 67-year-old former member of parliament who once led a rebel group in eastern DRC, is facing trial for these crimes. He is charged in a French…
Judged since Wednesday in France in the name of universal jurisdiction, Roger Lumbala created the surprise by suddenly recusing his lawyers and refusing to appear.
The former Congolese Militian leader, charged with "abetting crimes against humanity", challenges the competence of the French justice system to try him.
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