EngRegional
DRC’s refusal to celebrate Francophonie day is hypocritical. Here's why
The government of the
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) earlier announced that it would not hold an
official ceremony for the March 20 International Day of La Francophonie, citing
insecurity in the eastern part of the country as the reason.
In August 2023, Kinshasa
hosted the Francophonie games as part of celebrations of the Francophonie day.
The only reason that delayed the hosting of the event was because DRC did not
have adequate infrastructure to host the event, and it was never about the war
as they now claim.
Current developments beg a
question. Has Kinshasa just realized how critical the conflict in eastern DRC
has been?
The east of DRC has been
volatile for the past three decades.
One would wonder why Kinshasa
is refusing to be part of the celebration this time. This is one of the many
cards DRC plays to get away with their refusal to engage in constructive talks
with the M23 rebels so as to find sustainable peace, while getting attention of
being the victim.
On his X account, Kinshasa’s
spokesperson and minister of communication and media, Patrick Muyaya while
quoting Aurélien Taché France’s Deputy, said: “The Francophonie must also play
its role in resolving conflicts. Hundreds of thousands of Congolese, the
largest French-speaking country in the world, who are chased by militias who
have come to pillage the east of the country with the support of the Government
of Rwanda.”
He added that, “the
Francophonie cannot be at the service of any government for this denunciation
of evil and for solidarity with the Congolese people.”
Instead of blaming the
Secretary General of La Francophonie, Louise Mushikiwabo, DRC should find a
solution for their long-term internal conflict. When regarding the conflicts in
the country, the international community and observers, like to assume that
they are dealing with conflicts orchestrated by DRC's neighbors, who, it is
always alleged, are backing rebel movements. Congolese officials are,
especially, always quick to shift the blame of all their insecurity issues to
Rwanda.
The causes of conflict in
eastern DRC include; the country’s poor governance, corruption, and the failure
of the country’s political establishment to ensure security for the population.
The east of DRC is home to
more than 200 foreign and local armed groups, including the genocidal militia
from Rwanda, FDLR. The latter is a terrorist group formed by the perpetrators
of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, who later fled to eastern
Zaire, current DRC, where they have spread their genocide ideology for the past
three decades. The FDLR harasses and kills the Congolese Tutsi. Instead of
addressing this persistent crisis, the Congolese President is reluctant to
acknowledge this persisting problem.
That problem has to be solved
by the DRC government.
The DRC would have been right if not celebrating Francophonie day could contribute to the resolution of the conflicts in the east of DRC. But that is not the case.
