EngRegional
Tshisekedi takes his revenge on Kenya
Kenya’s national carrier Kenya
Airways (KQ) confirmed the arrest and detention of two members of its staff in
the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), over alleged missing customs documents
of a cargo that was to be transported by the airline.
"Kenya Airways (KQ)
confirms that on April 19th, 2024, two of our employees at our airport office
in Kinshasa were arrested and continue to be detained by the Military
Intelligence Unit known as Detection Militaire des Activities Anti Patrie
(DEMIAP)," read a statement by KQ
Chief Executive Officer Allan Kilavuka, on April 26.
However, Kilavuka noted that
the cargo in question was not uplifted or accepted by the airline because of
incomplete documentation. During their arrest, the staff member’s phones were
confiscated and they were denied contact with anyone. "Despite court
orders, the military intelligence unit is still holding them incommunicado, yet
these are civilians being held in a military intelligence facility," the
airline announced.
Clearly, the Congolese
government is unfairly treating these Kenyans. Could this be Kinshasa’s
revenge, as part of their grievances towards Nairobi? Very possible.
Kinshasa and Nairobi’s
diplomatic row started last year. For starters, the Congolese government
angrily blamed Kenya for the creation of Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC), a
Congolese politico-military opposition platform, formed by Congolese opposition
figure Corneille Nangaa, in Nairobi on December 15.
The exiled politician then
announced that he was siding with the M23 rebels, in a political-military
alliance, and other armed groups in order to "save the country."
After the coalition’s creation, Kinshasa fumed and recalled its ambassador to
Nairobi, right after summoning the Kenyan envoy in Kinshasa to protest the
creation of the new coalition.
On the other hand, Nairobi
quickly disassociated itself from any “utterances or activities likely to
injure the peace and security of the DRC.”
However, the Congolese
government refused to listen, and threatened that Kenya had to face its
consequences. Today, Kinshasa is making sure it keeps its word. The Congolese
government is increasingly stepping in a room of diplomatic isolation with
Kenya following President Félix Tshisekedi’s misbehavior towards this country
in a bid to mask his failures as a leader.
This is not the first time
Tshisekedi’s government takes a jab at Nairobi.
After an Extra-Ordinary Summit
of EAC Heads of State on the security situation in DRC convened, in February
2023, in Bujumbura, Tshisekedi humiliated the then Force Commander of the East
African Community Regional Force (EACRF), Maj Gen Jeff Nyagah, accusing him
collaborating with the M23 rebels. He undiplomatically did so in front of
Kenyan President William Ruto. Following this row, Tshisekedi expelled the
regional force from his country, in December 2023.
Tshisekedi’s undiplomatic
behavior towards neighboring countries is nothing new. For years, he has been
alleging that Rwanda and Uganda support the M23 rebels, which led to Kinshasa
cutting off all forms of cooperation with Kigali. Kinshasa’s relations with the
region soured as well, as Kinshasa recalled its representative to the regional
bloc, in Arusha, Pierre Masala.
Kinshasa is antagonizing the
principles of EAC, to which it is a member state, to live in harmony and peace,
with each other. Tshisekedi is jeopardizing his country’s business with Kenya’s
airline, forgetting that DRC does not have a national carrier operating
international flights.
It seems like Kinshasa is
determined to make his country a pariah state, through his isolationist
policies, which only increases unnecessary diplomatic rows. Unfortunately, it
is the Congolese people that will suffer because of their leader's irrational
behaviour.
