DR Congo President Felix Tshisekedi has accused his predecessor Joseph Kabila of "preparing an insurrection," saying he was behind a new rebel movement founded in Kenya in December 2023.
In an interview with radio Top Congo on Tuesday, August 6, Tshisekedi, who was in Belgium for medical treatment, said the Congo River Alliance (AFC), which includes the M23 rebels, was Kabila's brainchild.
"The AFC, it's him," Tshisekedi said of his former ally.
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It is the first time a Congolese official accuses Kabila of siding with the rebels. The former president is the latest to be blamed for the insecurity in eastern DR Congo, where the army has been fighting the M23 rebels since November 2021.
Tshisekedi's government has also accused Rwanda and Uganda of supporting the rebels, allegations the two countries dismissed. His government also accused Kenya of supporting the creation of the AFC, leading to a brief diplomatic row.
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The AFC is led by Corneille Nangaa, a former head of the Congolese electoral commission. Nangaa headed the commission when Tshisekedi won the 2018 election.
Tshisekedi won a second term in December 2023, in an election that was marred with irregularities.
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Tshisekedi said the National Episcopal Conference of the Congo (CENCO) recently asked him to "open up to the opposition."
"How am I going to go about it?" he posed to the Catholic bishops.
He said he could not engage Martin Fayulu, a presidential candidate in 2018 and 2023, because he had "never recognized the results of the last elections."
For Moise Katumbi, his main challenger in the 2023 elections "was ready to do the same thing" as Fayulu but backed down due to "pressure from his own people" Tshisekedi said.
He added that Katumbi chose to remain "borderline."
"Joseph Kabila, let's not talk about it. He completely boycotted the elections and is preparing an insurrection, because the AFC, it's him," Tshisekedi said.
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Kabila, who ruled DR Congo between 2001 and 2018, has not responded to Tshisekedi's accusation.
But his spokesperson Barbara Nzimbi denounced the allegations, saying they were "without proof or foundation."
"Joseph Kabila remains and continues to be a defender and protector of republican values, concerned with respect for the constitution. And the only way for him to gain power is through the ballot box," Nzimbi said.
Kabila has led a quiet life since stepping down.
He and Tshisekedi struck a deal that led to the latter's 2018 election win, which was contested.
Kabila's coalition had a majority in the National Assembly after Tshisekedi took over.
But they later fell out as Tshisekedi sought to control the house.
Kabila's residence in Kinshasa was attacked on July 31 by members of the Forces du progres, a militia reportedly linked to Tshisekedi's party Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS).
Up to 65 people linked to the attack were charged with criminal conspiracy and attempted murder, among other offences.
The High Court of Kinshasa at Gombe will begin hearing on Thursday, according to local media.
