Overview
- The trial began Wednesday at the Paris criminal court, where Lumbala faces counts of complicity in crimes against humanity and criminal conspiracy tied to 2002–2003 abuses in North Kivu and Ituri.
- Prosecutors link the RCD-N operation known as “Effacer le Tableau” to murders, torture, rape used as a weapon, enslavement and pillage targeting Nande and Bambuti communities.
- French authorities arrested him in Paris in December 2020 and indicted him in November 2023 under universal jurisdiction, which allows prosecution of grave crimes regardless of where they occurred.
- Dozens of survivors are expected to testify during more than a month of hearings, with a verdict scheduled for December 19, 2025.
- If convicted he faces life imprisonment, while he denies responsibility and is expected to challenge the French court’s authority.