Following the arrest of singer Gims on March 25, 2026, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) made significant diplomatic efforts to secure his release, based on his status as a cultural “ambassador.”
The DRC’s ambassador to France, Émile Ngoy Kasongo, sent an official diplomatic note to the French authorities. This document argued that Gims was entitled to diplomatic immunity due to the diplomatic passport he had held since 2022.
The DRC’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, closely monitored the case from Kinshasa. Although she did not officially contact her French counterpart, Jean-Noël Barrot, her involvement underscored the political importance of this case.
President Félix Tshisekedi was kept informed of developments in the legal situation through diplomatic channels, in direct contact with Mr. Gims’ lawyer, David-Olivier Kaminski.
The immunity request was rejected because Mr. Gims was traveling in a private capacity and did not possess an official mission order identifying him as a representative of the State on an official mission.
Passport Validity
Although Mr. Gims holds a valid diplomatic passport – renewed in December 2025 – the French court ruled that this document alone does not confer absolute immunity for unofficial activities.
The immunity request was rejected because Mr. Gims was traveling for private reasons and did not possess an official mission order identifying him as a representative of the State on an official mission.
According to information from Africa Intelligence, as part of his release conditions, Gims had to pay €1.5 million in bail and was prohibited from contacting about fifteen other people involved in this large-scale case. Furthermore, Gims is required to inform French courts of his movements, although the total travel ban requested by the prosecutor’s office was rejected.
Aimé Binda
