The trial of former Congolese rebel leader Roger Lumbala for crimes against humanity has taken an unexpected turn in Paris. Rather than focusing solely on his defense, the accused has launched a major strategic offensive: the summons of Jean-Pierre Bemba , the current Deputy Prime Minister of the DRC.

By demanding the hearing of Bemba – a central figure in the Congolese transition, himself a former International Criminal Court case – Lumbala is attempting to go beyond the criminal framework to question the collective memory and shared responsibilities of the "bloody years" of 2002-2003. He is also demanding the hearing of Constant Ndima and other former leaders.

This audacious request puts the Kinshasa authorities in a delicate position. The DRC must now choose between respecting international legal assistance and protecting its Deputy Prime Minister. The possibility of a refusal, potentially justified by diplomatic immunity, would severely strain bilateral relations with France, which had nevertheless increased its preventative contacts in Kinshasa.

The core of the defense strategy is to highlight the ambiguity of the Congolese conflicts, where the roles of executioners and statesmen have often been interchangeable. By making Bemba a key witness, Lumbala's lawyers seek to transform his individual trial into a "mirror of all the ambiguities of the Congolese transition," thus complicating the approach of the French justice system, which operates under the principle of universal jurisdiction.