EngRegional
Tshisekedi fired Kabuya over eastern DRC disagreement, duping opposition
President Felix Tshisekedi and Augustin Kabuya were once on the same footing with a suggestion of solving, militarily, the conflict with the AFC/M23 rebellion,
In early August, Congolese
President Felix Tshisekedi fired UDPS-ruling party Secretary General Augustin
Kabuya, and replaced him temporarily with Deo Bizibu Balola who was serving as
his deputy in charge of political and administrative issues.
Sources have confirmed that
replacing Kabuya with Bizibu who originates from Bukavu, in South Kivu
Province, was a move by Tshisekedi to win hearts and minds in eastern DRC where
the President has constantly failed to restore security.
Kabuya used to be Tshisekedi’s
main advisor regarding the ever-deteriorating crisis in eastern DRC. The two
were on the same footing with a suggestion of solving, militarily, the conflict
with the AFC/M23 rebellion, which resurged in late 2021 after a decade of
dormancy.
Regional leaders persistently
advised Kinshasa to solve the conflict in eastern through political means,
especially dialogue between concerned parties. Kabuya happened to change his
stand and sided with the suggestion of a need for political will to end the
security crisis in the region.
“Kabuya was accused of
incompetence, corruption, and nepotism. But we [UDPS members] are all sure that
Tshisekedi is unhappy with him because of his recent comments on addressing
what is really happening in eastern DRC. He said that Tshisekedi’s incompetence
has led to deterioration of the conflict in the east,” noted a UDPS insider who
preferred anonymity.
Regional political
commentators believe that the firing of Kabuya reiterates Tshisekedi’s refusal
in finding a sustainable solution to DRC’s decades-long insecurity, and his
long-lasting will to externalize DRC’s internal problems.
When he first entered the
presidential palace five years ago, Tshisekedi claimed that ending the security
crisis in the east was at the top of his agenda. For all his time in office,
what he did is only adding fuel to the fire.
Worse still, the UDPS party is
reported to be more divided than ever, and Tshisekedi is unable to calm the
storm.
“Tshisekedi is secretly
initiating political consultations with opposition to organize political
dialogues, which would lead to formation of a united government,” added the
UDPS insider.
This move is not aiming at
finding solutions to DRC’s problems collectively. Tshisekedi is conning the
country’s opposition by integrating it into his government, to weaken it and
prepare for a fraudulent power shift in 2028 when his last term will end.
Martin Fayulu, Denis Mukwege,
and Moise Katumbi have already shown their will to support the initiative.
While the opposition worries about the escalating conflict in the east of the country, Tshisekedi’s one and only concern is how he would stay in office after 2028.
