The U.S continues to treat Félix Tshisekedi’s regime in Kinshasa as a credible partner for peace, security, and investment. This is very naïve.
But despite repeated warnings from U.S. Congressman Ronny Jackson and cautionary signals from Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame, Washington keeps legitimizing a government built on corruption, nepotism, and the exploitation of its own people.
Jackson’s fact-finding trip to Central Africa was a wake-up call: eastern DRC is virtually ungoverned, AFC/M23 freedom fighters are stronger than the national army, and the Congolese state cannot enforce even the most basic authority over its territory. He warned that systemic corruption, a toothless judiciary, and the arbitrary enrichment of Tshisekedi’s inner circle make the DRC a minefield for legitimate investment.
Kagame has been equally blunt, emphasizing that real regional stability hinges on credible governance in Kinshasa, not cosmetic alliances or empty diplomatic gestures. He has even warned against dealing with Tshisekedi, describing a man who will say one thing in the room and do another the moment he walks out.
Yet Washington continues to act as if Tshisekedi is a trustworthy partner. The consequences are already tangible. In January 2026, PayServices, a U.S.-based fintech company, filed a federal lawsuit against the DRC government, alleging that Tshisekedi-linked officials had blocked and undermined its operations, costing the company tens of millions of dollars. The case exposes a simple truth: American businesses are not immune to the predatory, kleptocratic practices of Kinshasa.
At the heart of this corruption is the Tshisekedi family itself. Investigations in Belgium and local reports show that nine members of the president’s inner circle — children, siblings, and the first lady — have turned the mineral-rich provinces of Katanga into a private treasury, diverting revenues from copper, cobalt, and other critical resources for personal gain, while ordinary Congolese see nothing. Katanga, once the backbone of the DRC’s economy, has become the personal ATM of a dynasty.
Washington cannot claim strategic foresight while ignoring these facts. By continuing to reward Tshisekedi with recognition, deals, and legitimacy, the U.S. is enabling kleptocracy and undermining its own interests. If America hopes to secure real stability for its investors in Central Africa, it must stop pretending a family-run kleptocracy is a reliable partner, especially when there is a ready-made alternative to fix Congo’s governance quagmire: the AFC/M23.
ellenkampire 
mkuser12