DR Congo: Kabila's party says resuming work in defiance of ban

Former Congolese President Joseph Kabila's party said Tuesday it was resuming activities following a suspension last month by the interior ministry.

The government order freezing the activities of the People's Party for Reconstruction and Democracy (PPRD) has not been lifted. But the party's lawyers argue that without a court order, the suspension automatically expires after 15 days.

An Interior ministry statement justifying the ban on the PPRD accused Kabila of of 'overt' activism.

It said the 53-year-old had been reluctant to condemn M23, the rebel group controlling North and South Kivu provinces.

Kinshasa has accused Kabila, in self-imposed exile since 2023, of supporting armed rebellion in the country's east.

In April, Kabila who ruled Congo until 2019 made a low key return to the country.

He arrived in the rebel-held city of Goma through Rwanda. Kabila has not been seen in public since.