The High Military Court in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has set May 5, 2026, as the start date for the trial of Lieutenant General Philémon Yav Irung, who faces treason charges over alleged links with Rwanda.
The decision follows the closure of the evidentiary phase, with the court opting not to wait for a report from the National Cyber Defense Council, which had been unable to extract data from the accused’s mobile phones seized four years ago.
After requesting additional time due to the devices’ high-level security protections, the cyber agency failed to provide a clear timeline. The court dismissed the request, citing the need to expedite proceedings, and ordered the return of the phones.
Earlier attempts by other intelligence and security services to access the devices had also failed.
Gen. Yav, a former commander of the third military region covering conflict-prone eastern provinces, is at the center of the high-profile case.
During the investigation, several intelligence sources testified before the court, including Generals Yangba Tene and Sylvain Ekenge. They told judges that during a meeting chaired by former military governor Constant Ndima, the late General Peter Chirimwami alleged that Yav had shown him a message purportedly from Rwanda stating: “Chirimwami is interfering with our operations.”
The prosecution has relied in part on an SMS said to date back four years, reportedly linked to an individual described as an associate of senior Rwandan military official General James Kabarebe.
Prosecutors argue the message could point to collaboration with the Rwandan army.
However, the case faces a significant evidentiary challenge. General Peter Chirimwami, who allegedly saw the message on Yav’s phone, died more than a year ago, leaving the prosecution without a key witness.
The defense has dismissed the charges, with lawyer Me Carlos Ngwapitshi arguing that there is no credible evidence to support the accusations.
Military prosecutors, however, say they are ready to proceed as scheduled when the trial opens in early May.
