"I Govern Badly and I Plunder Katanga Because Rwanda Is Attacking Us"

Félix Tshisekedi, the current Congolese president, is the son of Étienne Tshisekedi, a historic figure of Congolese politics.

Étienne Tshisekedi served in government for several years alongside the late dictator Joseph-Désiré Mobutu. He was one of the architects of the N'Sélé Manifesto, which established the single-party state under the MPR (Popular Movement of the Revolution). The party ruled Congo, then known as Zaire, until the arrival of Laurent-Désiré Kabila's AFDL.

After breaking with Mobutu, Étienne Tshisekedi and twelve other parliamentarians founded the UDPS. He later took control of the party and gave it a tribal character, turning it into a Kasaian affair, hostile to anyone who is not Kasaian.

Father to Son: The Same DNA

When he took power in 2019, Félix Tshisekedi, who had inherited the UDPS by questionable and tribal means, set up a system at the head of the country built on lies, demagoguery and manipulation.

He came to power through a political deal with his predecessor, Joseph Kabila Kabange. Anxious to preserve peace and stability, Kabila had to choose between an extremist, Martin Fayulu Madidi, and Félix Tshisekedi, a moderate and desperate man who spent his time in Brussels cabarets and appeared to have a passion for his country, although time has exposed the man's hypocrisy.

A short-lived partnership with Rwanda

At the very start of his term, Félix Tshisekedi showed interest in widening relations with Rwanda through economic cooperation, drawing on the rich contacts book of Rwandan President Paul Kagame.

For those who may not know, Rwanda enjoys an excellent reputation in Africa for governance, work ethic and seriousness in delivering projects. The Congolese mindset, by contrast, is marked by laziness, negligence and drinking, even during working hours.

The breakdown between Kinshasa and Kigali also stems from this clash of cultures. Kinshasa wanted to drag Rwanda into the rhythm of the ndombolo, whereas Rwanda insisted on work discipline and pragmatism in delivering projects.

Bad governance and a convenient scapegoat

After the M23's resurgence in 2021, a 100% Congolese armed movement whose grievances go back many years, Kinshasa was quick to accuse Rwanda of sponsoring it. Yet it is worth stressing that the M23 is made up of fighters who came from Uganda, not Rwanda. For Kinshasa, blaming Rwanda was the easiest story to sell to Congolese public opinion, a way of hiding the failings and deficit of governance.

Since Félix Tshisekedi came to power, his regime has been marked by repeated corruption and embezzlement scandals costing several billion US dollars. Examples include the 100-Day Programme, Tshilejelu, the 144 Territories project, the RAM and many others.

On top of this, the president's clan has systematically plundered Katanga's mineral resources since 2019. The plunder has gone hand in hand with the persecution and repression of the indigenous Katangese, and involves chiefly the president's own family as well as members of his political circle.

Experts put the annual proceeds of this mafia in Katanga at more than 20 billion dollars. The president has also pursued a policy of planned migration of people from his native Kasai to Katanga, with the aim of establishing colonisation and domination in favour of his own kin at the expense of the Katangese.

Rwanda has become a genuine scapegoat for the Tshisekedi regime. Slander against its neighbour allows Kinshasa to lull and distract the Congolese people from its governance failures, its inability to meet the challenge of the DRC's development and its failure to secure the wellbeing of the population.

Rwanda, by contrast, has built a development model that stands out in Africa, spanning tourism, new technologies and soft power in several sectors. It also enjoys an international reputation for good governance and the fight against corruption.