Tshisekedi’s reckless disregard for regional peace agreements speaks volumes about his commitment—to prolong the senseless bloodshed in the DRC and to tighten his grip on power. Moreover, this path serves as a golden goose for Tshisekedi and his cronies, enriching them at the expense of the Congolese state coffers drained dry in the name of the war. The numbers don’t lie – the DRC’s military spending has soared from $459 million in 2021 to a staggering $700 million in 2022, all while its military capability remains in a sorry state.
First and foremost, the notion of withdrawing support for the genocidal militia FDLR and other illegal armed groups operating within the DRC, as stipulated in the Luanda and Nairobi peace accords, remains taboo to Tshisekedi. This stance became evident when Tshisekedi supplied these groups, which include FDLR, Mai Mai, Nyatura, and those known as ‘Wazalendo’ under DRC law, with a fresh arsenal of weaponry, including AM1 assault rifles procured from an Indonesian weapons company, PT Pindad, via Jean-Pierre Bemba, drones, and missiles. These weapons were subsequently seized by the M23 following significant losses suffered by Tshisekedi’s forces on October 21, 2023, in Kichanga.
Secondly, Tshisekedi’s stubborn refusal to abandon the path of war and embrace the principles of dialogue, as outlined in the Nairobi and Luanda peace processes, was publicly articulated by the Congolese Minister of Foreign Affairs, Christophe Lutundula. In a televised interview on Télé Top Congo in Kinshasa, Lutundula unapologetically announced a military offensive against M23 on September 25, 2023, thereby violating the ceasefire brokered by regional peace accords.
It doesn’t take a genius to see that the war-mongering strategy employed by Tshisekedi is driven by a selfish agenda. With elections looming on the horizon, he fears the inevitable defeat that awaits him. In the event that this civil conflict continues to rage in war-torn DRC, Tshisekedi will undoubtedly prolong the electoral process for as long as possible, all in a bid to secure a second 5-year mandate without going through the electoral process. He will likely justify these power-hungry tactics by citing the very war he initiated and perpetuated, all while disregarding the regional peace accords that could have silenced the guns and saved countless lives.
In summary, Tshisekedi has made a deliberate and ill-fated decision to abandon the Nairobi and Luanda Peace Processes, the only viable pathways to resolving the ongoing crisis in the DRC without further bloodshed. This choice, fueled by an irrational animosity towards Congolese Rwandaphones (defended by M23 rebels), has not only unleashed death and devastation upon innocent Congolese civilians but has also forced countless families, women, and children into exile in neighboring countries.
ellenkampire