The Common Front for Congo views the regime of Félix Tshisekedi as ungrateful towards his predecessor, Joseph Kabila, after the latter peacefully handed over power.
While taking note of the bad faith and ingratitude of those who, five years ago, were the main beneficiaries of the first peaceful transfer of power in the DRC, "the FCC would like to remind everyone that, as the only living Honorary President of the Republic, a Senator for life, and the principal architect of the first peaceful transition of power at the top of the state in sixty years of the country’s independence, in a sub-region of Africa where democratic transition is a rare commodity, Joseph Kabila Kabange, instead of being maligned and unjustly accused, deserves to be acknowledged as a national heritage to be preserved, and treated with respect and consideration."
The political family of the former president recalls that they faced the same security challenges and internal betrayal without the support of those in power today. "During the eighteen years of Joseph Kabila Kabange's leadership of the country, he was more than once confronted with rebellions, coup attempts, and foreign aggressions, without any real support from the 'new patriots' who have only 'discovered' patriotism since 2019 and who cynically distort it to mask their chronic inability and to accuse those who are not of their obedience of treachery of varying degrees," the FCC asserts.
Furthermore, the FCC of Joseph Kabila emphasizes that the coveting of Congo's riches, the expansionist designs of certain neighbors, and the betrayal of some misguided compatriots serving foreign interests have always been challenges for the governance of this vast, God-blessed country that is the Democratic Republic of Congo. To make believe that these challenges have only existed since 2019 and to portray them as the cause of the current power’s failure in all respects, rather than the result of naïve, ill-conceived and poorly implemented policies advocated and implemented by the latter, is thus a deceit.
The FCC also highlighted Joseph Kabila's feat in 2001, who, despite his young age, managed to unify a country "balkanized" into four parts, each with an army and police. "To those who do not know history, pretend to ignore it, or have short memories, the FCC reminds them that when he came to power in January 2001, Joseph Kabila Kabange, then only 29 years old, inherited a country 'balkanized' into four pseudo-states, with only a third of the national territory under central government control, the rest - two-thirds - being divided into four pseudo-states, each not only with its own administration, army, and police, but also its foreign patron."
The political family of Joseph Kabila has reacted to accusations against their leader of being a "contact" for the rebel Corneille Nangaa, former president of the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) who has been leading the armed rebellion of M23 since December 2023. One of his strategic advisers, Eric Nkuba, has been arrested since January 3 at the Dar Es Salaam airport in Tanzania and transferred to Kinshasa. During an interrogation filmed by military intelligence services, Eric Nkuba mentioned the former army general, John Numbi, and the former president of the Republic, Joseph Kabila, as among the military contacts of Corneille Nangaa. Other politicians were also mentioned such as the former deputy of Kananga, André Claudel Lubaya, the former director general of OGEFERM, Patient Sayiba, and the president of the CNSA, Joseph Olenghankoy.
Dido Nsapu