The government of 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 the warrant was issued to several African and European countries.
“He must be arrested where he is found,” Mwamba said, according to Al Jazeera.
Katumbi who unsuccessfully tried to register as a candidate for the upcoming DR Congo elections in early August, is facing charges of harming his country’s “domestic and external security”.
The businessman was a leading presidential contender before fleeing DR Congo in May 2016 as prosecutors announced their intent to try him on charges of hiring mercenaries, an accusation he denied.
Katumbi broke ranks with President Joseph Kabila, a former ally, in 2015, and has since been sentenced in absentia to three years in prison for property fraud.
Last week, Kabila, who has been in power for nearly two decades, announced his decision to step down and nominated Emmanuel Ramazani Shadari as the candidate for the ruling party.
Opposition parties, meanwhile, are calling on the DR Congo government to allow Katumbi to return and stand as a candidate.
The other contenders for the top seat include former rebel leader Felix Tshisekedi and for Vice President Jean-Pierre Bemba.
