One of Congo tyrant Felix Tshisekedi’s henchmen, Didier Budimbu Ntubuanga, the minister of sports and leisure, has revealed their plan to change the constitution to offer a third term to Congolese ruler Felix Tshisekedi. According to Budimbu, this would allow Tshisekedi to “end the war” in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
This statement was made in Kinshasa on Sunday during a meeting where Budimbu openly outlined the regime’s thinking.
“We will fear no one, and we must not turn a blind eye. With the current situation and the limits we observe in our constitution, it must be changed to offer a third term to Felix Tshisekedi,” the corrupt Budimbu said.
There is nothing new in what this henchman of Tshisekedi’s said.
This has always been the plan since Tshisekedi came to power through a disputed election. The objective has been simple. Remain in power for as long as possible so that he and his family can deepen the roots of their growing kleptocracy.
What Budimbu is now presenting is simply a convenient justification. The claim that Tshisekedi needs a third term to end the war in eastern Congo is nothing more than political manipulation.
The truth is that Tshisekedi cannot end the eastern Congo crisis. In many ways, he is one of its principal architects. The war has become a political instrument and a useful currency for his rule.
In mid-2020, Tshisekedi’s envoy held talks with the M23 movement to discuss their grievances and the broader security situation in eastern Congo. That dialogue presented an opportunity to address longstanding concerns. Instead of resolving them, Tshisekedi abandoned the process and allowed the grievances to remain unresolved.
He then shifted his focus toward resurrecting the FDLR. These elements were gradually embedded within his Republican Guard, where they could benefit from training and operational experience. Their role was clear. They were meant to help fight the M23 movement, whose grievances Tshisekedi had refused to address.
That was not the end of the escalation. Tshisekedi later supported the creation of the Wazalendo militias and began funding them extensively. As the conflict deepened, he also brought foreign mercenaries into his coalition, including Romanian contractors.
At the same time, Tshisekedi neglected every meaningful peace process aimed at resolving the crisis. From the Nairobi talks to the Luanda process and later diplomatic efforts in Washington, his government consistently failed to demonstrate a genuine commitment to peace.
Even today, his coalition struggles to respect the ceasefire demanded by regional and international mediators. The same mediators have repeatedly insisted on the dismantling of the FDLR network, yet this demand remains largely ignored.
This is the context behind Budimbu’s remarks. The idea that Tshisekedi needs a third term to “finish the war” is deeply misleading.
In reality, war has become part of Tshisekedi’s political strategy. As long as the conflict continues, it provides a convenient justification for consolidating power and expanding a system that increasingly resembles an organized kleptocracy.
Budimbu’s statement, therefore reveals less about peace and more about the regime’s intentions. It confirms that the war in eastern Congo is not a problem Tshisekedi urgently wants to solve. It is a crisis he continues to exploit.
ellenkampire