From January 19, Congolese ruler Felix Tshisekedi attended the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting 2026 in Davos, an event that brought together global leaders, including more than 60 heads of state and government. The DRC attended as a so-called “solution country” (pays-solution) to global challenges.
Yet many observers were left wondering: what solution does a belligerent, yet comedic leader like Tshisekedi actually bring to such a forum?
Announced with great fanfare by his communication team as “one of the special guests” of the World Economic Forum, Tshisekedi’s presence in Davos ultimately stood out not for impact, but for absence. After four days in the Swiss Alps, he looked less like a key participant and more like a sidelined observer.
He did not attend or speak on any panel. He delivered no address to the forum, and he failed to engage meaningfully with the global audience. The only meeting he managed to secure was a brief encounter with King Philippe of Belgium, on the sidelines of the event.
Tshisekedi’s Davos performance was particularly underwhelming. While other leaders used the forum to strengthen alliances and promote their national agendas, Tshisekedi walked away with just one symbolic meeting – hardly a diplomatic success.
He managed one thing: to expose himself as someone that’s not taken seriously.
Tshisekedi had hoped to secure a platform to address attendees, where he intended to once again scapegoat Rwanda for the ongoing insecurity in eastern DRC. That opportunity never materialized. No stage was offered, no microphone handed over. The message from Davos was clear: the international community is not interested in whining blame games.
Even more telling was his failed attempt to meet U.S. President Donald Trump. Despite lobbying efforts by his entourage, Tshisekedi was ignored.
This diplomatic cold shoulder is hardly surprising. Tshisekedi arrived in Davos, branding the DRC as a “solution country,” yet he himself has repeatedly failed to implement the peace agreements he signed to end conflict in eastern Congo. Rather than demonstrate leadership and accountability, he continues to rely on blame, confrontation, and rhetoric.
The world sees through him. Tshisekedi is increasingly perceived not as a peacemaker, but as a belligerent warmonger and unworthy of serious attention from global decision-makers.
Ironically, for a president known for his fondness for photo opportunities, Tshisekedi left Davos without even a single notable photograph alongside fellow world leaders.
Symbolically, it was a visual confirmation of his isolation.
His trip to the Swiss mountains thus came across as yet another empty journey devoid of substance, achievements, or diplomatic gains.
Davos exposed a harsh reality: while the world moves forward, Tshisekedi and his regime are left behind.
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