The topical issue that is corroding the minds of the Congolese population
and the Euro-American lobbies is why Kabila and the tenors of the regime want
to retain power and refuse any proposal that would force them to yield power.
The justifications are many and deserve attention.
Explanation 1: A.F.D.L. regime = military regime.
In
my opinion, the first explanation that justifies the suicidal attitude of
Kabila and all those around him is the military character of the A.F.D.L.
regime. Indeed, when the A.F.D.L. came to power in 1997, it conquered power by
force of arms and not by democratic means. In essence, this "liberation" is based on a power that
is defined as military and which, progressively and cleverly, will be
structured around the control of the army, the police, the security services,
democratic institutions (Senate, National and Provincial Assemblies, Justice and
C.E.N.I.), the international community, of corruption as the only means of reward those who animate
and protect the regime, the impunity
and immunity that tetanizes the entire judicial system of the country, voluntarily transforming
this space into Far-West without Sheriff and a false promise to reform
the institutions and democratize the diet. The “Afdelian power” has never been a civil
power or sought to become one. And contrary to the false impressions of a
desire to "civilize" through truncated elections, the reforms military, police,
security services, the justice, etc., the Afdelian power has cleverly hidden complicity of the
Euro-American lobbies, its permanent refusal to promote a civil power as an
alternative to its military power. Moreover,
in the deep world of the Afdelian power, the slogan remains: "tozuaki
yango na mbuma, bakozua yango na buma", we mean "we have conquered it by
the force of cannon; we shall only be taken back by the force of the cannon.
"
Dreamers are all those who, both
national and foreign, speak of "the peaceful transition of
governance "in this context!
governance "in this context!
Explanation 2: fear of losing everythin.g
The
second explanation for the refusal to leave power is the protection of the
fortunes accumulated by the regime's tenors during the 18 years of power.
Leaving power; is to put at risk the assets accumulated during these years of
reign. This is not only true
for the President and his family. This situation is also of
concern to all those around him who came to power
empty hands and leave the pockets full to the detriment of
the whole nation. Fear of the revival of the Office of poory acquired goods (O.B.E.M.A.). is real as if to say that it does not happen to others. This undoubtedly explains all the debates on the guarantees to be offered to the current President and his the protection of all such property. To this fear of being dispossessed of all its assets, one must add the permanent anxiety caused by future investigations that mark this disrespectful power of human rights. In this world where victims know their rights and can beat for several years for justice to be done, the parliamentary immunities are very weak in the face of the criminal law.
Like yesterday, in the time of Mobutu, during his last moments of power, the nights of those who have to leave power are haunted
by the shadows of odious crimes against humanity, numerous illicit trafficking in weapons and raw materials, ignoble assassinations of journalists and other human rights activists, unacceptable acts of corruption, embezzlement, rape, desecrates the life-giving woman of our future generations, etc. It is also at this particular moment that the victims of numerous atrocities and justice restore faces to the many affairs that have enamelled these tumultuous years in power.
The nights of the last days in power are nights nightmares haunted by faces and other groans that have the names: Chebeya, Bazana, Franck Ngykie and his wife, Bapua Muamba, Serge Maheshe, Didas Namujimbo, Munzihirwa, Kataliko, Mbuja Mabe, Mamadou Ndala, Bahuma, Boteti, Tungulu, victims of Operation Likofi, heroes and heroines from 16 February 1992, from 19 to 21 January 2015, Beni, Butembo, Kasai, Kongo Central, Upper Katanga and many others.
empty hands and leave the pockets full to the detriment of
the whole nation. Fear of the revival of the Office of poory acquired goods (O.B.E.M.A.). is real as if to say that it does not happen to others. This undoubtedly explains all the debates on the guarantees to be offered to the current President and his the protection of all such property. To this fear of being dispossessed of all its assets, one must add the permanent anxiety caused by future investigations that mark this disrespectful power of human rights. In this world where victims know their rights and can beat for several years for justice to be done, the parliamentary immunities are very weak in the face of the criminal law.
Like yesterday, in the time of Mobutu, during his last moments of power, the nights of those who have to leave power are haunted
by the shadows of odious crimes against humanity, numerous illicit trafficking in weapons and raw materials, ignoble assassinations of journalists and other human rights activists, unacceptable acts of corruption, embezzlement, rape, desecrates the life-giving woman of our future generations, etc. It is also at this particular moment that the victims of numerous atrocities and justice restore faces to the many affairs that have enamelled these tumultuous years in power.
The nights of the last days in power are nights nightmares haunted by faces and other groans that have the names: Chebeya, Bazana, Franck Ngykie and his wife, Bapua Muamba, Serge Maheshe, Didas Namujimbo, Munzihirwa, Kataliko, Mbuja Mabe, Mamadou Ndala, Bahuma, Boteti, Tungulu, victims of Operation Likofi, heroes and heroines from 16 February 1992, from 19 to 21 January 2015, Beni, Butembo, Kasai, Kongo Central, Upper Katanga and many others.
Explanation 3: Anger against sponsors of all kinds and
all origins.
all origins.
The
effort at this stage of this reflection is to do as
theater: entering the heads of those who must abandon everything in order to living a new life where no one clearly determines the
contours. In all the speeches of the moment, those who leave
theater: entering the heads of those who must abandon everything in order to living a new life where no one clearly determines the
contours. In all the speeches of the moment, those who leave
the power to read only hypothetical titles: "Father of democracy", "being
rare and appearing only every 25 years", "status of old political
sage like Mandela and so many others", "parliamentary
immunities" ; "There is a life after the presidency", etc.
But
in all these beautiful speeches, no one defines, with precision, the outlines
of this life. No one tells you that this life resembles that after the death of
a Christian. Indeed, heaven as political life settled after the mandate are
dependent on the life we have led here or during our mandate at the head of
the State! Heaven is like a peaceful end of mandate! Who can leave 18 years of
juicy power with only guarantees of the false metaphors of those to whom one
has delivered his country and sacrificed all his youth?
At
the end of this reign, there is an aftertaste of treason, abandonment and
desire for vengeance. There is a refusal to die alone because it is together
that we have governed without elegance, and it is together that without
elegance we will leave this power. He acceded to a single refusal to carry the
cross of a facade democracy to the service of the external predatory powers and
who had progres- sively erected him as a strong man instead of helping him to
build a democracy that respected humanity and built on strong institutions.
Finally,
on leaving this regime, there is a desire to sanction all this hypocrisy
through an act of suicide which, like a piece of domino will bring down others
and will unveil to the future marionnettes in quest of power, the mistake that
accompanies this democracy of facade that creates slave leaders and throw them
in the trash like oranges sucked up to their last drop of juice. At the end of
each reign of dupes, the Euro-American lobbies have good back. All are playing
the innocent and demanding of the battered people of this land to get rid of
the new leader who they brought to power by manipulation and electoral fraud.
Explanation 4: Fear of Exile.
Today, yesterday,
the exile at the end of the reign, becomes hypothetical especially on African,
Euro-American and tomorrow earth wherever Congolese Diaspora will certainly
mobilize as the Jews do against Nazi criminals throughout the world, to track
down members of this predatory regime and to bring them before national and
international courts and tribunals. The world is no longer the same and the
right to political exile meets an ethic of respect for humanity that the global
world puts in place for all and everywhere.
No state today wants
to house ex-leaders of a regime, responsible for more than six million dead in
their country! The actors of civil society in this state will not allow it in
the name of the principle more than ever operational of the solidarity of the
victims of violence and other injustices throughout the world. No state wants
to lose economic privileges in a partner country by protecting ex-leaders to
whom these nations blame criminal justice claims. Clearly, margins of maneuver
are narrowing for asylum seekers political at the end of the facade democracy.
They will be treated like the dictators of yesterday, they to whom we have
nevertheless worn the robe of democrats.
Explanation 5: leaders end mandates between the hammer and the anvil.
For all observers of the Congolese
political scene and for the Congolese people, it is difficult to imagine how
any of the scenarios of the slip, concocted to date, could offer a new mandate
to President Kabila. All believe that the preservation of power will not bring
anything solid. On the contrary, it will trigger a violent chain reaction of
abuse, a spiral of protests and violent repression throughout the country. It
will give the outgoing president the image of a man who will have planned and
executed the intensification of brutality against the population. The current
President should not rely on the impression of power and control the situation
that many known and opportunistic thrifrists are trying to give to convince him
to deride. In reality, all these discourses and stratagems offer only a hypothetical
margin of maneuver. As in the past, the fox lives only at the expense of the
listener. And at the end of his reign, what could be more profitable than the
profession of courtiers? And as always, such flies, all these foxes are the
first to leave the ship in case of shipwreck. Follow
my look! Today there is no longer any doubt. A broad consensus has emerged in
the country and within the community of nations to consider that a third
official presidential mandate is constitutionally impossible! The current
president has no choice. He must pass the hand because any refusal on his part
would only his person and those of his entourage; but especially the predatory
neocolonial system that governs this space.
The
Euro-American lobbies that have sponsored him so far will not allow him to put
the system in danger through an uprising of this unpredictable people whose
uncertainties they do not know. This explains the pressures of all kinds that
are exerting on the current president and his entourage. The cunning
politicians of the current regime who, within its majority, have understood,
turn, without making noise and each in his own way, towards his own political
future. Is it not so to understand the numerous political declarations of
others? When speeches in the living room are becoming more and more different
from public speeches, treason is not often very close! For Kabila and all
his clan, it is necessary to leave power and tomorrow will depend on how one
leaves this power: by a resignation, a coup d'état palace or a popular
uprising? In the present context and after all these unfortunate attempts at
slippage, only the official announcement of his wish not to run for a third
term would be an act of political courage. Indeed, his transparency as regards
his refusal to run for a third term will be favorably received by the Congolese
people and will help to safeguard the semblance of stability that the country
is experiencing.
He
could thus count on the clemency of the justice and the Congolese people and on
the possible support of a successor well disposed towards him. But it is
unrealistic to think that one can leave power today, and have immunities of the
penal order. Rule of law obliges! And as the President himself affirmed at the
opening of the conference for peace in Kasai: "there is no peace
without justice". So the souls of all these victims of institutional
violence of these 20 years of rule A.F.D.L. will never rest in peace if justice
is not done!
-------------------- --------------------------------------------------
------------- *Pr. Thierry Nlandu Mayamba, article published in "Le
Phare" of 29 September 2017.