Lumbala trial: ‘ the French courts did not summon Jean-Pierre Bemba and Constant Ndima ’(Paris Assize Court Registry)

Kinshasa, November 20^th, 2025 (CPA). – The French courts did not summon Jean-Pierre Bemba and General Ndima in the trial of the former minister Roger Lumbala of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) before the Paris Assize Court in France, according to the clerk’s office of that court, quoted on Thursday on social media. ‘The names Jean Pierre Bemba Gombo, Deputy Prime Minister in charge of Transport and Communications, and Constant Ndima, FARDC general, are not mentioned at all by the French Republic’s court (Paris Assize Court), which is bringing legal proceedings for crimes against humanity against Roger Lumbala,’ according to a Facebook post relaying official information from the clerk’s office of the Paris Assize Court. According to this source, Hugues Vigier and Marie Dosee, two of Roger Lumbala’s main lawyers, and even the clerk of the Paris Assize Court, are very surprised to learn from Congolese social media that the names of Jean-Pierre Bemba and Constant Ndima have been mentioned in this case, adding that some sources have pointed out that this is ‘Rwandan poison’ spread by Congolese people in the account of this neighbouring country and other Rwandan personalities. « In all legal proceedings before the courts and tribunals, particularly the Paris Assize Court, there are no last-minute surprises, as the clerk prepares everything very thoroughly in advance. This includes, of course, the names of the defendants, the prosecution and defence witnesses, the evidence, the required forensic and police reports, and nowhere are the names of Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo and Constant Ndima are mentioned in any of the elements of this legal case, which we have just consulted in our capacity as legal advisers and assistants to the court, » have declared Hugues Vigier and Marie Dosee, also quoted by these sources. The same source has also specified that in French courts and tribunals, the clerk assists judges or prosecutors in their work. He prepares hearings, takes minutes by accurately transcribing the statements of the parties and ensures that proceedings are followed up. And to add: ‘The clerk independently manages the administrative side of the chamber or office, ensuring compliance with legal procedures and deadlines, in collaboration with the magistrates.’ Judged since last week in France under universal jurisdiction, 67-year-old Roger Lumbala has caused a surprise by dismissing his French lawyers, Hugues Vigier and Marie Dosee, before the Paris Assize Court and refusing to appear in court.