Former President Joseph Kabila of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has pointed fingers at his successor, President Felix Tshisekedi, for the escalating conflict in the eastern region.
Kabila believes Tshisekedi’s poor governance has significantly contributed to the rising tensions, which cannot be solely attributed to the advances of the Rwanda-supported M23 armed group or the tensions between Kinshasa and Kigali.
Kabila argued that since Tshisekedi took office in 2019, the situation in the DRC has worsened, with the country now “close to imploding.”
He described the December 2023 elections, which secured Tshisekedi’s second term, as a “sham,” accusing the government of suppressing opposition and allowing Tshisekedi to become the “absolute master of the country.”
Kabila highlighted several issues with Tshisekedi’s rule, including intimidation, arbitrary arrests, extrajudicial killings, and forced exile of politicians, journalists, and church leaders.
He warned that neglecting these underlying issues while focusing solely on the M23 would lead to ongoing instability, conflict, and potentially civil war.
The M23, claiming to defend the rights of the DRC’s minority Tutsi population, renewed its military actions in 2021.
South Africa has deployed over 1,000 troops to the DRC to assist the government and stabilize the area, following the loss of 14 South African soldiers in the conflict last month.
