Congo’s former president talks about the country’s future politics amidst a revolt, according to sources

As rebels backed by Rwanda take control of eastern Congo, former President Joseph Kabila has begun discussions with opposition lawmakers on the political future of the nation, five people aware with the outreach told Reuters.

Current President Felix Tshisekedi, who has been under fire for his handling of the M23 rebels’ historic progress, may face yet another danger as a result of the talks, which have also included members of civil society.

Following Congo’s contentious 2018 election, Tshisekedi and Kabila once made an uneasy power-sharing agreement. However, Tshisekedi later started to undermine his predecessor’s influence and accused him of impeding changes.

When M23 marched on Bukavu, the second-largest city in east Congo, last month, Tshisekedi told the Munich Security Conference that Kabila had financed the insurgency, demonstrating how strained the two men’s relationship had become.

Prior to publishing an opinion piece in a South African publication on February 23 accusing Tshisekedi of breaking the constitution, violating human rights, and pushing Congo to the verge of civil war, Kabila made no public remarks regarding the situation or address the charge.

Sources who either knew Kabila personally or were aware of his recent interactions with opposition lawmakers and civil society people claim that the former president has been withering just as much in private.

“The Tshisekedi regime is soon over” was the message, according to one insider who met with Kabila personally.

The source, who wished to remain anonymous because of the delicate nature of the conversations, stated, “We will see what they do.”

A TRANSITION BROACHED

According to all of the individuals, Kabila and his lieutenants had discussed a political transition of some sort, but there was no concrete plan or information about how this might actually happen.

Although Kabila publicly met with opposition leaders Moise Katumbi and Claudel Lubaya in Addis Ababa in December, the discussions have been secret.

When Reuters asked Katumbi, the former governor of Congo’s copper-rich Katanga region, for comment on Kabila’s alleged outreach to the opposition on Thursday, he pointed to previous remarks that criticized Tshisekedi.

For his part, Lubaya told Reuters on Thursday that “Tshisekedi seems more concerned with retaining his power than with finding a solution, so the sky is grey and the outcome uncertain for the country.”

Kabila urged an inclusive peace process in a rare interview with the Namibia Broadcasting Corporation this week, but he was evasive about his own objectives.

“God alone is knowledgeable. After meeting with numerous African leaders and attending the burial of former Namibian President Sam Nujoma, Kabila stated, “We intend to be very much available to serve our country, serve our people.”

Although it would be “good” to keep Tshisekedi out of discussions on Congo’s political future, Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary, a leader of Kabila’s political party, told Reuters that it was crucial to uphold the constitution.

Though it hasn’t been carried out yet, Tshisekedi declared on February 22 that he will form a unity government.

Kabila is viewed with suspicion by Tshisekedi’s administration. A senior government official and a Congolese security source told Reuters this week that officials had seized a boat owned by Kabila on Lake Tanganyika because they believed it would be used to deliver weapons to organizations that would support M23.

Kabila’s former chief of staff, Nehemie Mwilanya Wilondja, claimed that officials had not provided any proof to support their claims.

Western powers, Congo, and U.N. experts accuse Rwanda of supporting M23. Rwanda disputes this, claiming that it is protecting itself from ethnic Hutu-led militias that are threatening Rwanda and committing atrocities against Tutsis in Congo.

Mwilanya claimed that the current crisis was similar to that which occurred in 2001, when Kabila came to power following his father’s murder.

As they do now, Rwandan, Ugandan, and Burundian forces were operating in Congo, posing a threat to the Kinshasa authority.

Mwilanya claimed that Kabila, who was 29 when he took office, had handled the issue much more skillfully than Tshisekedi.

“Given the state the country is in, who should be blamed?” Says Mwilanya. “Or better yet, who ought to be spared? Congo or those in charge.”