Democratic Republic of Congo: What rationality behind the refusal to leave power?

 

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!

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.

Explanation 3: Anger against sponsors of all kinds and
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

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.