A touching address by Congolese President Joseph Kabila on August 17, 2018 in Windhoek, Namibia, impressed African heads of state at the 38th Summit of Presidents of the Southern African Development Community (SADC). For the very first time, Joseph Kabila openly pronounces words indicating his departure. Also, he did not fail to be rewarded by the applause of his counterparts who were swept away by the finesse of the « words » of a comedian whom they all seem to have failed to capture « flexibility » juggling .
Did our heads of state really have a perspicacious mind to penetrate the depths of the words and the attitude of the Congolese president when he presented himself to the world this Friday, August 17, 2018? The expressions collected from Mr. Kabila’s mouth are certainly encouraging for both the Congolese nation and all those who support the truly democratic political change in DR Congo.
However, the Congolese learned caution before all the speeches and behavior of Joseph. The « constant » ambivalent attitudes of the Congolese president to the phenomena and circumstances of political alternation have formed the Congolese people with a great Cartesian spirit; so that all his gestures, acts, words, so agreeable in appearance, deserve only a benefit of doubt. This doubt is certainly not the danger of pessimism, because the way remains open to lift it at any time, that is to say by ensuring that the words spoken are concretized by acts and behaviors that correspond positively .
International opinions may have difficulty understanding the Congolese people in such an attitude. However, it is enough to remember how many inter-Congolese dialogues were organized around Kabila with the hope of harmonizing the views for a happy future of the country. Agreements were signed, such as those of New Year’s Eve, so that the Congolese would have acquired the hoped for change by the end of 2016. But what did Kabila have said? Why did he prefer to keep the country in confusion and decadence until these days? It is only from the inside of the country that we better understand what Joseph Kabila really is. Would it be possible to believe that a man who does not respect a signature (which can not be erased) will respect a word that flies away as soon as it is pronounced?
At the conclusion of his speech, Kabila told his colleagues « See you soon ». The Congolese who knows him enough would have liked him to say rather « Goodbye! « . There is reason to guess that he is not always ready to let go of the baton of the command. Kabila would certainly like to warn his accomplices not to be surprised to continue to see him in their circle of heads of state, despite all the present negotiations, and even in spite of his own words. Hence, the Congolese people will believe in Joseph Kabila’s farewell only when, concretely, he will show political tolerance towards the political opposition (among others by accepting the request for return of Moses Katumbi and by setting up a political and security climate conducive to the return of political exiles), will give up the famous voting machine rejected en bloc by his compatriots, accept that the CENI be restructured to become a truly independent electoral commission and the Constitutional Court by neutral magistrates and credible, open the door to public demonstrations or political policies, stop maintaining armed groups / rebels and even terrorists to massacre the Congolese people in Beni, Ituri, Tanganyika, etc.
Joseph Kabila must confirm his words by positing concrete positive acts!
Kazadi Joseph Bondeko
Kinshasa.
