Aubin Minaku, Vice-President of the PPRD, Arrested at His Home

Kinshasa, January 18, 2026 - Congolese security forces arrested Aubin Minaku, Vice-President of the People’s Party for Reconstruction and Democracy (PPRD), in the early hours of Sunday morning at his private residence in Kinshasa. The operation was confirmed by several sources close to the case, including members of his political entourage and eyewitnesses. The exact reasons for the arrest have not yet been officially disclosed, but the move comes amid rising tensions surrounding figures linked to the former regime of Joseph Kabila. Mr. Minaku, a former Speaker of the National Assembly and a close ally of the ex-president, was taken to an undisclosed location shortly after midnight. Security sources said the operation proceeded without violence, although the residence was reportedly cordoned off by special forces. The PPRD has not yet issued an official statement. The arrest follows a series of legal actions targeting former Kabila associates. In recent weeks, Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary, the party’s permanent secretary and unsuccessful candidate in the 2018 presidential election, was also arrested and remains detained at an undisclosed location. These developments come in the wake of the military court conviction of Joseph Kabila several months ago. The former head of state, now living in exile, was tried in absentia for his alleged role in supporting the AFC/M23 rebellion, which Kinshasa accuses of being backed by Rwanda. Mr. Kabila has been sentenced to death, a verdict his supporters strongly denounce as politically motivated.