UDPS Urges Trump to seek Kabila Arrest Warrant

The UDPS, the ruling party in the Democratic Republic of Congo, says it has asked US President Donald Trump to pursue stronger action against former president Joseph Kabila after Washington imposed sanctions on him, according to an Actualité.cd report.

Augustin Kabuya, the party’s secretary general, said the request was included in a petition submitted to the United States Embassy following a UDPS march in Kinshasa on Monday, May 4, 2026.

The march was organized in support of the US Treasury’s April 30 sanctions against Kabila. OFAC accused the former Congolese leader of supporting the March 23 Movement and the Congo River Alliance, both linked to the conflict in eastern DRC.

Kabuya said the UDPS wanted to show public support for Washington’s position and asked whether the US administration could move beyond sanctions toward an international arrest warrant.

The sanctions freeze any Kabila-linked assets under US jurisdiction and restrict transactions involving US persons. The Associated Press also reported that Washington accused Kabila of funding and politically supporting rebel groups in eastern Congo.

Kabila, who led the DRC from 2001 to 2019, remains a politically sensitive figure. His critics accuse him of retaining influence through regional and domestic networks, while his allies have rejected accusations that he is backing armed movements.

The UDPS request adds a new political layer to the sanctions debate, but any move toward an arrest warrant would require a clear legal mechanism and is not confirmed by US authorities.