The Democratic Republic of Congo has issued an international arrest warrant for opposition leader Moise Katumbi, who has been in self-imposed exile since 2016.

Justice Minister Alexis Thambwe Mwamba said on Thursday that he should be arrested wherever he was found.

But Mr Katumbi told the BBC the warrant made no sense.

How can they issue an arrest warrant against me and yet two weeks ago, they blocked me when I tried to enter the country? Right now I am in Namibia and they can find me if they want to arrest me. My reaction is that those claims are being made by empty drums, just like they say empty tins make the loudest noise. The people that are subjecting Congolese to misery are those in leadership making false accusations against me.

It is those who are stealing and killing people right now that should face the law.”

Mr Katumbi was hoping to get into DR Congo ahead of a deadline earlier this month for candidates to register for long-delayed elections in December.

But as he tried to cross over the border from Zambia, he was blocked by the Congolese authorities.

A wealthy businessman and former governor, Mr Katumbi left DR Congo in 2016.

He was later sentenced in absentia to 36 months in prison on charges he says are politically motivated.

Who is Moïse Katumbi?

Was governor of the south-eastern Katanga province for almost a decade

In 2015 he broke ties with the ruling party when he accused President Joseph Kabila, his former ally, of wanting to cling to power

His popularity is partly down to his role as the president of a great source of Congolese pride – football club TP Mazembe.

(Source: BBC)</s>KINSHASA, Congo — Congo’s government says it has issued an international arrest warrant for opposition leader Moise Katumbi, who has been in exile since 2016.

Justice Minister Alexis Thambwe Mwamba said Thursday that the warrant was issued to several African and European countries.

Katumbi tried to enter Congo before the Aug. 8 deadline to register as a candidate for December’s presidential election. He said he was blocked at the border with Zambia.

The justice minister says Katumbi engaged in a “political show” in trying to return.

Katumbi had been a leading presidential contender before fleeing Congo in May 2016 as prosecutors announced their intent to try him on charges of hiring mercenaries, which he denied.

Opposition parties are calling on the government to allow Katumbi to return and stand as a candidate.</s>Congo on Thursday issued an “international” arrest warrant for opposition leader Moise Katumbi.

The central African country’s justice minister alleged that Katumbi had been planning to run in December’s presidential elections, but has been prevented from returning to Congo in time to register.

A former ally of President Joseph Kabila, Katumbi has been in self-imposed exile avoiding a slew of criminal charges.

The millionaire politician has denied any wrongdoing.

“An international arrest warrant has already been issued by the attorney general of the republic against Moses Katumbi, he must be arrested where he is found,” Justice Minister Alexis Mwamba said.

Mwamba said a number of African and European countries had been informed about the warrant.

Katumbi reportedly tried to cross into Congo from Zambia earlier this month, but was denied entry.

Katumbi, once governor of mineral-rich Katanga province, broke with Kabila in 2015 and has since been sentenced in absentia to three years in prison for property fraud. He also faces charges of “undermining state security.”

An ex-soldier and son of a former president, Kabila has repeatedly delayed elections in recent years resulting in massive anti-government protests, which security forces have at times used deadly force to quell.

Last week, Kabila, who has been in power since 2001, announced he would not be running again in the December 28 vote.

Instead, Emmanuel Ramazani Shadari will represent the ruling coalition, recently renamed Common Front for Congo (FCC).

The opposition presidential hopefuls include Felix Tshisekedi and Jean-Pierre Bemba – a former warlord who was jailed at the Hague before his conviction was overturned.</s>The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has issued an international arrest warrant for opposition leader Moise Katumbi, who has been in self-imposed exile since 2016.

Justice Minister Alexis Thambwe Mwamba said on Thursday that the warrant by the DRC's attorney general was issued to several African and European countries.

"He must be arrested where he is found," he said.

Katumbi tried to enter DRC from Zambia before the August 8 deadline to register as a candidate for December's presidential election, but he was denied entry.

Mwamba said Katumbi engaged in a "political show" in trying to return.

The wealthy businessman had originally planned to fly from South Africa to Lubumbashi, the capital of Katanga province.

But the city's mayor said that Katumbi was refused entry, while the public prosecutor's office said the opposition leader had been charged with "harming the state's domestic and external security" and would be immediately arrested if he returned.

In a tweet sent out earlier in August after being barred entry, Katumbi said he would "fight" what he called an attempt to "withdraw from Congolese their right to real elections".

Katumbi had been a leading presidential contender before fleeing DRC in May 2016 as prosecutors announced their intent to try him on charges of hiring mercenaries, which he denied.

Once governor of mineral-rich Katanga province, Katumbi in 2015 broke with his former ally, President Joseph Kabila, and has since been sentenced in absentia to three years in prison for property fraud. He also faces charges of "undermining state security".

The millionaire politician has denied any wrongdoing.

Kabila, the son of a former president, has repeatedly delayed elections in recent years resulting in massive anti-government protests, which security forces have at times used deadly force to quell.

Last week, Kabila, who has been in power since 2001, announced he would not be running again in the December 28 vote.

Instead, Emmanuel Ramazani Shadari will represent the ruling coalition, recently renamed Common Front for Congo (FCC).

Opposition parties are calling on the government to allow Katumbi to return and stand as a candidate.

The opposition presidential hopefuls include Felix Tshisekedi and Jean-Pierre Bemba - a former rebel leader and vice president who was jailed at The Hague before his conviction was overturned.</s>Former Katanga province governor and leading opposition figure in Democratic of Congo (DRC) has slammed the government over the issuance of an international arrest warrant in respect of his person.

Katumbi made news headlines last two weeks when he unsuccessfully tried to return to the DRC to file papers to contest for delayed presidential elections slated for December 2018.

He confirmed in an interview with the BBC that he was currently in Namibia. He tried to enter DRC by land having been denied authorization to enter with a private jet to Lubumbashi. Zambian authorities have said he should be arrested it found on their soil but Katumbi is not enthused as his government’s latest action.

The government says Katumbi is a fugitive and has thus sought international assistance to arrest him. He had asked weeks back that the government to allow him in and to be arrested over those claims.

“How can they issue an arrest warrant against me and yet two weeks ago, they blocked me when I tried to enter the country? Right now I am in Namibia and they can find me if they want to arrest me.

“My reaction is that those claims are being made by empty drums, just like they say empty tins make the loudest noise. The people that are subjecting Congolese to misery are those in leadership making false accusations against me,” he told the BBC.

Katumbi flew into exile in 2016 at the time to seek medical attention after he was teargassed whiles attending a court hearing in Lubumbashi.

He was sentenced in absentia to 36 months in prison over charges he has insisted were politically motivated.

Incidentally outgoing president Joseph Kabila is in Namibia attending what will be his last Southern African Development Community (SADC) summit. Kabila’s party has chosen Emmanuel Ramazani Shadari as its candidate in the elections.
The government of DR Congo issues an international arrest warrant for opposition leader Moïse Katumbi, who was hoping to take part in the upcoming December 2018 Congolese general election.