Former DRC President Joseph Kabila/SCREENGRABThe Democratic Republic of Congo has banned the party of former President Joseph Kabila, accusing him of links to the M23 rebel group, which has seized large parts of the east of the country this year.
The ban comes amid reports that Kabila has returned to the country after spending two years in South Africa.
He is said to have returned to the town of Goma, which was seized by the Rwandan-backed M23 in January.
Kabila led DR Congo for 18 years, after succeeding his father Laurent, who was shot dead in 2001. Joseph Kabila was just 29 at the time.
An interior ministry statement said all activities of Kabila's PPRD party had been banned because of its "ambiguous attitude" to the occupation of Congolese territory by the M23.
It also noted that Kabila had chosen to return to Goma, where he was being protected by the "enemy".
The PPRD has not commented.
On Friday, the government accused Kabila, 53, of high treason and ordered the seizure of all his property.
Kabila has previously denied having links to the M23. He has not commented on the latest moves by the Congolese government or confirmed that he has returned to DR Congo.
However, he did say earlier this month that he would be going back to the country. Senior PPRD officials have denied that Kabila is currently in Goma.
On Saturday, his spokesperson Barbara Nzimbi posted on X that Kabila would be addressing the nation in the coming hours or days.
Asked by BBC Great Lakes, the M23 spokesperson neither confirmed nor denied Kabila's presence in Goma, saying: "I don't see any problem him being here."
