The Nigerian lobbyist who reinvented himself in Washington DC has done it again. The guy who calls himself Von Batten Montague (but his real name is Edward Ikemefuna) has now apparently promoted himself to the role of spokesperson for the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
On X, the self-styled deal maker announced what looks like a diplomatic breakthrough between the United States and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. According to the Nigerian, “Washington has waived sanctions it had imposed on Kinshasa, because the country is allegedly making progress on the use of child soldiers.”
Ikemefuna aka “Von Batten” went further and declared that the United States will now “expand military cooperation with the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.” In his telling, American forces will provide training and assistance to the Congolese army as part of a renewed partnership.
He even dressed the claim with the usual diplomatic slogans, saying that the US stands with the Congolese people in their pursuit of sovereignty, security, and a peaceful future. According to this naked propaganda the alleged partnership reflects a “shared commitment to regional stability and to ensuring Congolese citizens benefit from the prosperity of their nation.”
The problem with these kinds of scammers is that they lie so much they forget basic protocols and how nations function.
Since when do freelance lobbyists announce US foreign policy before that county’s State Department does? Since when does a Nigerian fixer on social media break strategic military agreements before the governments involved even acknowledge them?
Montague may be used to selling illusions to the most gullible corners of Kinshasa’s political ecosystem. But diplomacy does not work that way. Major policy decisions between states are announced by governments, not by lobbyists chasing their next paycheque.
The claims are even more absurd when placed against the reality inside the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the maze of militias operating across eastern Congo.
The country is home to hundreds of armed groups. Various security reports estimate that children make up a shocking share of those fighters. Some estimates place it at around sixty percent in certain militias. In such an environment, the idea that the child soldier problem has suddenly been solved is simply fantasy. So what exactly is Montague talking about?
More importantly, who empowered him to speak for Washington or Kinshasa?If the United States were ever to move in that direction, the decision would raise serious questions of its own.
Washington has long treated Kinshasa less as a partner and more as a strategic quarry. Congo’s vast mineral reserves continue to attract geopolitical appetites disguised as security partnerships.
Military cooperation under such conditions rarely brings stability. More often it bankrolls chaos while foreign actors quietly secure access to cobalt, coltan, and copper. Which is why Montague’s online proclamations should be treated for what they most likely are. Selling fiction to those willing to buy it.
ellenkampire