Regional

DRC: Tshitsekedi dupes Congolese with anti Rwanda rhetroric to win votes

2023-11-30 05:30:00

President Félix Tshisekedi campaigning at Martyrs' stadium in Kinshasa, on November 19.

Campaigns for the December 20 general elections have kicked off in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Like all previous campaigns, the candidates have a habit of using anti-Rwanda rhetoric to win voters.

While addressing his supporters during an election rally at Martyrs' stadium in Kinshasa, President Félix Tshisekedi accused Rwandan President Paul Kagame, for destabilizing security in DRC.

“I have broken ties with president Kagame because he took advantage of my good faith to destabilize North Kivu,” claimed Tshisekedi.

The Congolese leader has alleged, on different occasions, that Rwandan forces are backing the M23 rebels in the country's east, a claim Kigali denies. DRC has been marked by political instability for almost three decades, and the Congolese government has opted to continuously blame neighboring countries for its own failures.

Additionally, Tshisekedi accused some other presidential candidates of supporting Rwanda, though he did not name any of them. Clearly, the Congolese leader's accusations are a political move aimed at ensuring that Congolese vote for him.

Tshisekedi knows he failed the Congolese in his five-year term. Blaming the M23 rebels and Rwanda for his failures, is a card to play to win another term.

Rather than proposing solutions to end the internal conflicts, and set clear goals on how to do so in his possible next term, Tshisekedi prefers blame games, hence pushing for an anti-Rwanda manifesto.

The east of DRC is home to more than 200 foreign and local armed groups, including the genocidal FDLR, a terrorist group formed by the perpetrators of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, which harasses and kills the Congolese Tutsi. Instead of addressing this persistent crisis, the Congolese President is reluctant to acknowledge this persisting problem.

Tshisekedi pretends that the FLDR is no longer a threat to Rwanda, claiming that FARDC supporting FDLR is a fallacy, and that the genocidal group has no political claims against Rwanda.

For the past five years, Tshisekedi failed to hold talks for peace in his country. Anti-Rwanda rhetoric is the only thing that can save him.

The anti-Rwanda agenda has never benefited the Congolese population. It only increases xenophobia and discrimination among citizens, which leads to more chaos. Congolese voters should keep this in mind before heading to polls.