- Defiant ex-DRC president Joseph Kabila says he has returned to the DRC to “participate in peace efforts”, but his successor, Felix Tshisekedi accuses him of backing the M23 rebels.
- An aide to Joseph Kabila, who left the DRC in 2023, announced that he is seeking “to take part in efforts to find peace in the country.”
- DRC’s conflict, which has been persistent for decades, worsened in January when M23 rebels seized Goma city and soon after, Bukavu.
The roiling crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has taken a fresh twist with former President Joseph Kabila now being directly linked to the M23 rebels, who have claimed large swathes of land in the mineral rich area.
Last week former President Joseph Kabila, who has been residing in South Africa, was warmly received in rebel-held Goma city just days after making a public appearance in Kigali Rwanda, expressing his intent to enter Congo.
While Kabila says that he made a return to the DRC to “participate in peace efforts”, his successor and the current President, Felix Tshisekedi, is now accusing him of backing the M23 rebels, further scattering any hope of striking peace agreement in the nation.
DRC’s conflict, which has been persistent for decades, worsened in January this year when the M23 rebels clashed with the country’s military, seizing Goma and soon after, the town of Bukavu in February.
At the moment, over 7,000 people have been killed and millions displaced from their homes as Rwanda-backed rebels took control of Goma and Bukavu cities in the eastern DRC early this year.
An aide to Kabila, who left the DRC in 2023, announced that the former president is seeking “to take part in efforts to find peace in the country. Everyone is talking about Congo without the Congolese … this is not normal.”
According to reports, previously, Joseph Kabila expressed concern over the deteriorating security situation in eastern DRC, noting that immediate action was required to restore peace in the fragile country.
Media reports show that President Kabila is expected to address the residents of Goma, an opportunity that is likely to give better insight into his plans in the months ahead.
In early April, both President Felix Tshisekedi and Rwanda’s Paul Kagame met in Doha, Qatar, as the gulf nation sought to broker peace between the warring parties. Accoring to a media statement released soon after, the representatives of DRC and the M23 rebels agreed to return to dialogue and recommit themselves to a peace deal.
In various communiques during the Easter Holiday, authorities in DRC announced the suspension of the activities of former President Joseph Kabila’s People’s Party for Reconstruction and Democracy. They order asset freeze as well as the institution of legal proceedings against Joseph Kabila and senior party officials, accusing them of supporting the M23 rebels.
On Saturday, DRC’s Ministry of Justice announced that it is readying a legal action against Joseph Kabila even as Ministry of Interior suspended the former president’s political party.
Authorities in Kinshasa condemned Joseph Kabila’s “deliberate choice to return to the country through the city of Goma under control of the enemy, which curiously assured his security,” Interior Minister Jacquemain Shabani stated.
Who is Joseph Kabila?
Joseph Kabila Kabange served as the President of the DRC from 2001 to 2019, making him one of Africa’s youngest and longest-serving leaders in recent times. Born on June 4, 1971, in Fizi, South Kivu Province, Joseph Kabila is the son of Laurent-Désiré Kabila, the rebel leader who overthrew longtime dictator Mobutu Sese Seko in 1997.
Joseph Kabila was educated in Tanzania and later received military training in China and at Zimbabwe’s military academy. He rose through the ranks of the military and became a major-general in the DRC military.
His rise to the presidency was sudden and unexpected. Following the assassination of his father on January 16, 2001, he was appointed president at just 29 years old, inheriting a nation torn apart by war. He sought peace and international legitimacy, leading to the 2002 peace deal that paved the way for a transitional government.
In 2006, Kabila won the country’s first democratic elections in over four decades and was re-elected in 2011 amid controversy and allegations of vote-rigging. During his presidency, Kabila faced criticism for human rights abuses, suppression of the opposition, and delays in holding elections. Despite this, he also oversaw a period of economic growth, largely driven by mining.
Kabila eventually stepped down in January 2019, respecting term limits after postponing elections for two years. He was succeeded by Félix Tshisekedi, marking the first peaceful transition of power in DRC’s post-independence history.
Joseph Kabila remains a senator for life, as guaranteed by the constitution, and continues to wield political influence through his party, the People’s Party for Reconstruction and Democracy (PPRD).
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