Trouble breaks in the DRC
Ryder Gabathuse | Friday May 12, 2023 15:13
Masses have been forced to flee the country for their safety with some missing the crucial process of voter registration ahead of the country’s General Election in which Tshisekedi seeks the second and last term in office as per the country’s 2006 national Constitution. Tshisekedi took over the reins of power in 2018 from his predecessor Joseph Kabila who led the Congolese for nearly two decades.
The resurgence of military attacks by the armed groups known as March 23 Movement rebels or M23 in the eastern region at the north Kivu and Ituri provinces, has reportedly been disruptive in the much-needed process of voter registration which commenced last year December ahead of the impending General Election billed for December, 2023, a process that is crucial for the Tshisekedi-led administration.
As the Central African nation, also a SADC member goes for the democratic elections, the M23 rebels are reputed to be wreaking havoc and forcing displacement of populations in the conflict zone. In the process, the rebels are threatening to frustrate democratic endeavours by the DRC government in the war-prone country. Fights between the DRC’s national army and the M23 rebels have now caught the attention of the SADC region and other interested parties leaving the DRC a cynosure of all eyes.
Tshisekedi told a joint press conference hosted by Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi Tuesday this week as part of his State visit at the grounds of the Office of the President (OP) that against all odds, his government was working against the clock to ensure that it returns the country to normalcy because of the worrying humanitarian crisis as masses are now hit by cholera and other maladies.
Responding to media questions, Tshisekedi was steadfast that despite odds stacked against the DRC, the process of voter registration has been going on well in other parts of the country as the elections commission in the country has divided the country into three to efficiently manage the crucial process.
“North Kivu and Ituri provinces, which is a conflict zone, the process of voter registration has been ongoing and managed well despite challenges of accessibility,” explained Tshisekedi and added that the DRC has been divided into three voter registration zones being; East, Central and West.
The registration process commenced last December and the DRC, with a population of about 95.89 million (2021 census), and attention was given to the eastern provinces until hell broke loose with rebels taking the area over keeping electoral processes at bay.
The visiting President also indicated that the electoral commission also encountered challenges in the voter registration process in the capital Kinshasa where there were disruptive uprisings during the process, “but there is a solution being worked upon.”
He told the press conference that in the Central region, the electoral commission was able to move a step ahead and complete the voter registration process mid-January this year.
Tshisekedi would later concede that because of the volatility of the eastern region, where the masses have been displaced by the military attacks, his regime together with the electoral commission are thinking what to do next, when it comes to situations of this kind.
“There are many possibilities,” he told the press conference and added: “For us, we don’t want to leave out anyone outside as all and sundry have the right to choose a government of their choice.”
He added: ”That is the reason why the DRC government is elated with the forces, the Eastern troops which now had to accompany the DRC national army to impose peace by trying to stop the M23 rebels that are supported by Rwanda.”
Tshisekedi was worried that other contingencies are now ‘cohabiting’ with the M23 rebels further putting the security of his country into jeopardy. He was further worried by the fact that M23 rebels were now raising taxes in the areas they are occupying illegally.
He was also elated that this week, the SADC Organ of Troika had agreed to start the process of sending troops to the DRC for a peace-keeping mission to fight the unpleasant development that is affecting the institutions in the DRC.
“You know, the electoral process is one of the main to affirm or strengthen democracy in a State. When the process is not done in a proper manner, that can lend to more trouble. Very soon we are going to clarify things,” he noted.
He said the coming in of the SADC forces will bring hope to restore order in the DRC ahead of the polls this year as already, he noted, the East African forces have shown their limitations. The ultimate purpose of deploying forces is to stop the M23 rebels around the affected region in order to attain peace.
The DRC has solicited the East African forces to remain in the country up to the end of next month whereupon interested parties will be able to evaluate if they can extend or they are stabilising.
He repeated his concerns that there were forces that were unfortunately tolerating the rebels with some of them clearly indicating that they were not in the DRC to fight the M23. He cited the case of a Kenyan commander that recently left the DRC without properly communicating citing a threat to his life.
Now, Tshisekedi’s hope lies with the SADC forces to bring what he hopes will be everlasting peace. He was also hopeful that his ally, a fellow SADC member, Angola will send forces to his country to restore peace and stability.
“Angola also will send forces for the purpose of facilitating the retreat of the terrorist forces so that they might not have the impression that once they are removed from the east region, we are going to apply certain violence on them,” he clarified.
Until then, the DRC subscribes to a process of peace, which the DRC President said they want peace to return to the DRC quickly. In the next weeks, the country intends to start a process of returning its country people displaced by war and living in inhumane conditions.
He bemoaned the painful reality of the outbreak of cholera that is wreaking havoc amongst those who are running away from their country and he was also worried by the wide contamination that is likely to spread to other neighbouring countries in the region.
Tshisekedi reiterated an urgent need of bringing everybody home. First of all, he said: “These people have a right to live decently everywhere and in peace. These people also have the right to be part of the country’s impending polls.”
Despite its endowment with natural resources, it doesn’t seem people are benefitting much from the country’s wealth.
The DRC, according to the World Bank, is among the five poorest nations in the world. The Bank report further suggests that in 2022, nearly 62% of the Congolese (around 60 million) people lived on less than $2.15 a day.