The Trial of Congolese Warlord Roger Lumbala Tshitenga Held in France in a Historic Step towards Justice
The trial of former Congolese warlord Roger Lumbala Tshitenga began on 12 November and continued until 15 December 2025 before the Paris Assize Court in France. This prosecution, conducted under the principle of universal jurisdiction, represents a historic step towards justice for survivors of mass atrocities committed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
On 6 November, after hearing testimony from eyewitnesses, insider witnesses and victims—including survivors of sexual and gender-based violence—as well as Lumbala’s own testimony, and after reviewing numerous relevant reports and contextual and legal documentation produced by NGOs, the United Nations and the International Criminal Court (ICC), French investigating judges charged the former Congolese warlord Roger Lumbala Tshitenga with alleged complicity and conspiracy to commit crimes against humanity. These charges included murder, acts of torture, rape, pillage and enslavement, including sexual slavery, committed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo between 2002 and 2003 in the provinces of Tshopo, Haut-Uele and Ituri, during the Second Congo War. The Paris Court of Appeal subsequently upheld the indictment against the warlord.
Finally, on 15 December 2025, the Paris Assize Court found Roger Lumbala Tshitenga guilty of complicity in crimes against humanity committed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo between 2002 and 2003 and sentenced him to 30 years’ imprisonment. This landmark ruling marks a significant milestone in the fight against impunity for crimes committed during the Second Congo War.
The Second Congo War (1998–2003) claimed more than one million lives and displaced millions of people. To this day, it remains one of the most violent and destructive conflicts in the continent’s recent history, involving up to nine African nations and more than 25 armed groups.
Roger Lumbala was the former leader of the non-state armed group Rally for Congolese Democracy–National (RCD-N), which operated in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo between 2000 and 2003. He also served as Minister of Foreign Trade in the Congolese transitional government from 2003 to 2005 and later as a senator until 2013. At the time of his arrest in 2021, Lumbala was residing in France.
The acts for which he was prosecuted were committed during a military operation known as “Erase the Board” carried out by the RCD-N in the provinces of North Kivu and Ituri. Lumbala was accused of ordering and supplying weapons to RCD-N troops to carry out systematic and violent attacks against the local civilian population, with the aim of seizing control of resource-rich areas in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which were under the control of the rival group, the Rally for Congolese Democracy–Liberation Movement (RCD-ML).
The operation’s name derived from the troops’ modus operandi, which consisted of attacking civilians and destroying everything that belonged to them. According to the United Nations Special Investigation Team, the operation represented “a new scale of violence characterised by premeditated operations using pillage, rape and summary execution as tools of war”. Entire villages, communities and families living in the area were subjected to atrocious abuses with devastating consequences. Moreover, many of the attacks targeted specific ethnic communities, such as the Nande minority and the Bambuti Indigenous peoples. Several survivors of these crimes participated in the trial, and 35 victims were admitted as civil parties to the proceedings.
Universal jurisdiction has represented a beacon of hope for victims, as crimes committed during the Second Congo War (1998–2003) had not previously been investigated either at the national level or before an international court. Numerous survivors travelled to Paris to testify before the court and the jury. While many had already provided statements to the investigating judge, this moment marked a crucial milestone, as it was the first time they publicly shared their testimonies as part of a formal judicial process.
The Clooney Foundation for Justice and TRIAL International represented several survivors in this case and worked closely with their partners Justice Plus—based in the Democratic Republic of the Congo—and Minority Rights Group. These organisations were admitted as civil parties and collaborated throughout the investigation to identify and support affected communities, victims and survivors.
After decades of impunity, this trial represents a first step towards the realisation of justice for victims of atrocities committed during the Second Congo War, and the first time that crimes committed during the conflict have been heard before a non-military national court. At a time marked by an increase in the commission of serious international crimes, this case serves as a crucial reminder of the role played by universal jurisdiction when no other avenues of redress are available to survivors.
Federica Carnevale, Junior Project Manager.
