Former Belgian cabbie turned Congo bigwig, Félix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo, finds himself in a hot mess as his anti-Rwanda narrative falls flat, exposing his true ambition—to keep power at any cost, even if it means sparking a civil war at home and igniting conflict with a neighboring country.
For a start, Tshisekedi’s anti-Rwanda propaganda strategy now lays in ruins, losing its clout both domestically and abroad. During his first mandate, his xenophobic, racist rhetoric against Rwanda conveniently masked his regime’s ineptitude and rampant corruption, while providing a handy excuse to dodge the upcoming polls scheduled in December 2023. Now, Tshisekedi’s descent into dictatorship is laid bare for all to see.
What began as a fluke presidency in 2019 has snowballed into a chilling era of terror, where all opposition is quashed with brutal force, and dissent is crushed mercilessly. The haunting assassination of Cherubin Okende, Moïse Katumbi’s party spokesperson, serves as a stark reminder of the lengths he’ll go to maintain an iron grip on power. As, Kalonda and Mukebayi (top opposition figures) now rot behind bars, Tshisekedi’s message to the Congolese is clear—bow to his petty anti-Rwanda spiel or face dire consequences!
But wait, there’s more! Tshisekedi wholeheartedly embraces the counsel of the Congolese army’s top brass, the influential Mobutist faction, and the infamous tropical Nazi force, FDLR. And what’s his motive? Tshisekedi aspires to become a “Typical Congolese Dictator,” fervently determined to crush opposition and sow turmoil far and wide. The late Étienne Tshisekedi wa Mulumba (may his Soul Rest In Peace) must surely be turning in his grave witnessing his own son embodying the very essence of what he ardently fought against throughout his life.
In stark contrast to his father, the renowned “sphinx of Limete,” Tshisekedi embarks on an even riskier path. He doggedly pursues the integration of the FDLR into the regular Congolese army as reservists, rallying support for an offensive against Rwanda with the aim of toppling the Government in Kigali. What audacity! Such recklessness is sure to lead to a swift and resolute defeat, lasting even fewer minutes than the 1896 Anglo-Zanzibar War, which endured a mere 38 minutes. And all of this comes at the expense of the Congolese people, who neither voted nor endorse Tshisekedi’s perilous trajectory.
In a nutshell, the metamorphosis of a former cabbie into a power-hungry despot, displaying unwavering determination to retain power while unleashing chaos both domestically and regionally, was expected but remains a great concern ! Tshisekedi’s regime lays bare a distressing reality of mercilessly suppressing opposition and perpetrating ethnic cleansing of Congolese Tutsi in the eastern regions, alongside a disturbing eagerness to continue arming a genocidal militia and propagate turmoil across the region.
ellenkampire