I will resist until the last drop of my blood

The former Second Deputy Speaker of the Senate and President of the Alliance of Democratic Forces of the Congo (AFDC), Modeste Bahati Lukwebo, has spoken out against what he describes as attempts to strip him of the leadership of his political party.

In a statement addressed to Mandungu Bula, private adviser to the Head of State, the former President of the Senate affirms his determination to defend the AFDC’s political legacy to the very end.

I will resist until my last drop of blood,” declared Modeste Bahati Lukwebo, thereby demonstrating his firm resolve not to yield in the face of the tensions rocking his party.

In his message, the AFDC leader particularly laments the deterioration of his relationship with Mandungu Bula, recalling the ties he had with the latter’s father.

Modeste Bahati makes accusations and calls for action

Modeste Bahati claims to be regularly informed of initiatives allegedly being carried out against him and his party.

The AFDC president goes on to recall the sacrifices made since the party’s creation. In particular, he refers to the “intellectual, logistical, material and financial” efforts which, in his view, have contributed to the party’s development and establishment across the whole country.

For Bahati Lukwebo, these efforts cannot be undone by internal disputes or the actions of a few dissident officials.

​In his argument, Modeste Bahati also emphasises the historical ties of certain Congolese political parties to their principal founders and leaders.

Dissidents urged to form a new party

In his address, Modeste Bahati Lukwebo also refers to the dissidents Otto Bahizi, Munyomo and their associates. He invites Mandungu Bula to support them instead in setting up their own political party.

The AFDC president also believes that the dissidents cannot lay claim on their own to the assets of an organisation founded by several hundred people.

This statement comes at a time when internal divisions within the AFDC are fuelling debate on the Congolese political scene. Modeste Bahati Lukwebo thus intends to reaffirm his authority and defend the legitimacy of his leadership at the head of the party.

It should be noted that this is not the first time that associates of Félix Tshisekedi have attempted to destabilise their political allies, particularly those from the east of the DRC. Vital Kamerhe suffered a similar fate: accused of embezzlement as part of the ‘100-day trial’, the UNC leader spent several months in prison, leaving him politically weakened.

The UDPS, his ally, even went so far as to have him removed from the presidency of the National Assembly in favour of Aimé Boji, a member of the same party but one who enjoyed the favour of the political apparatus of the Presidency of the Republic.

Both political leaders, Bahati and Kamerhe, are accused of failing to condemn Rwanda using the same language and vocabulary as the UDPS. Both were ultimately removed from their posts within the bureaux of the two chambers of Parliament following accusations which their supporters described as far-fetched and fabricated.