DR Congo's former President Joseph Kabila has convened a meeting with Congolese opposition politicians in the Kenyan capital Nairobi, amid rising tensions with his successor, Felix Tshisekedi. Kabila, who is at loggerheads with the incumbent president, hosted members of the opposition on Tuesday, two weeks after a military court in Kinshasa sentenced him to death in absentia for treason and war crimes. ALSO READ: DR Congo military court sentences Kabila to death Tshisekedi also accuses Kabila, who ruled DR Congo between 2001 and 2019, of being behind the AFC/M23 rebel movement that controls swathes of territory in the east of the country. Kabila's trial and death sentence have divided public opinion in DR Congo. Present in Nairobi were figures like former Prime Minister Augustin Matata Ponyo, former minister and senator Moise Nyarugabo, Franck Diongo. All of them are opposed to Tshisekedi's government over the security crisis in the east, corruption and what is seen as a crackdown on opposition. ALSO READ: DR Congo bars Kabila allies from leaving the country However, media reports said key opposition figures like Moise Katumbi, Martin Fayulu, Delly Sesanga and Jean-Marc Kabund did not attend the meeting, called the Conclave of Political and Social Forces on the Future of Congo. ALSO READ: DR Congo opposition politician Moïse Katumbi blocked from leaving home These politicians say Tshisekedi's government is illegitimate, accusing him of rigging the December 2023 elections that got him a second term in office. Kabila, who accuses Tshisekedi of institutionalising tribalism and nepotism, was in eastern DR Congo in May, where he met leaders of the AFC/M23, civil society and religious leaders. He has previously met with opposition politicians outside the country.
