Ex-DR Congo president returns from self-imposed exile, party saysJoseph Kabila, 53, was the country's leader from 2001 to 2019The 53-year-old led DR Congo for 18 years, after succeeding his father Laurent, who was shot dead in 2001. Kabila's arrival comes after senators stripped him of his immunity over alleged support for the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group which has been fighting the Congolese army. Speaking to the BBC, a Goma youth leader for Kabila's People's Party for Reconstruction and Democracy (PPRD), confirmed earlier reports from the M23 that Kabila had arrived in Goma. In a message on X, rebel spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka welcomed Kabila to Goma saying: "We wish him a pleasant stay in the liberated areas." Congolese government spokesperson, Patrick Muyaya, rejected Kabila's allegations, saying he had "nothing to offer the country".