Félix Tshisekedi initiates a national dialogue for drc’s future

President Félix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) recently announced a significant national initiative: a “National Dialogue for Peace, Cohesion, and State Refoundation.” This eagerly anticipated address, delivered on Thursday, August 27, positions the dialogue as a crucial response to the persistent security, political, and social challenges that have plagued the nation for years.

President Tshisekedi articulated a vision for a process distinct from previous political dialogues in the country. He emphasized its unique territorial approach, stating, “This National Dialogue will first distinguish itself by its territorial anchoring: it will not begin in Kinshasa, but at the heart of our 26 provinces, our territories, and our communities.”

The Congolese president expressed his intent to forge a dialogue “conceived by the Congolese and for the Congolese,” designed to unearth the deep-seated causes of the recurring crises that destabilize the nation. While some civil society actors have welcomed the announcement, several opposition figures quickly voiced reservations, deeming the proposed format inadequate or ill-suited to the current national context.

A dialogue rooted in the provinces

The dialogue process, as outlined by the president, will commence with a series of consultations across the DRC’s 26 provinces before culminating in national sessions in Kinshasa. These provincial forums are designed to gather a wide array of stakeholders, including national and provincial elected officials, representatives from both majority and opposition parties, civil society organizations, traditional leaders, religious denominations, and economic, academic, and scientific figures.

The primary objective is to empower each province to conduct its own candid assessment. “Each province will frankly establish its own diagnosis: the causes of insecurity, land and customary conflicts, community tensions, administrative shortcomings, inequalities, obstacles to development, and necessary reforms,” the head of state explained. The findings from these local consultations will then serve as foundational input for the national discussions slated for Kinshasa.

Two ordinances to organize the process

President Tshisekedi also announced the forthcoming signing of two presidential ordinances. The first will establish an organizing committee, tasked with managing the administrative, logistical, and material aspects of the dialogue and ensuring all necessary conditions for its successful execution are met. The second ordinance will formally convene the dialogue, detailing the modalities for participant representation, the various stages of the process, and the mechanisms responsible for monitoring the implementation of the resulting recommendations.

The president specified that the entire process is expected to span a maximum duration of three months. Upon its conclusion, a “national pact” is anticipated to be adopted, accompanied by a permanent mechanism for tracking the commitments made.

Tshisekedi sets his red lines

The Congolese president also established several non-negotiable boundaries for the dialogue. He emphatically stated that the initiative should not be misconstrued as a platform for power-sharing. “We have too often responded to crises by sharing power rather than by consolidating the state,” he declared.

Furthermore, Félix Tshisekedi ruled out any challenge to the institutions established by the 2023 elections and insisted on upholding the constitutional order. Another critical red line concerns the participation of armed groups. “No one will be excluded because of their opinions, criticisms, political affiliation, provincial origin, language, ethnicity, or religion. But no one can claim to sit at the nation’s table while taking up arms against it,” the president affirmed.

This provision notably excludes armed movements active in the eastern part of the country, even as negotiations between Kinshasa and the AFC/M23 continue in Doha. However, President Tshisekedi reassured that the national dialogue would not supersede ongoing regional and international diplomatic efforts.

Claudel Lubaya calls it a “missed opportunity”

In a post on social media platform X, opposition figure Claudel Lubaya expressed strong criticism of the presidential address. He wrote, “Neither vision, nor awareness of the gravity of the moment, nor answers commensurate with the crisis.” The former deputy believes that the head of state failed to provide the anticipated solutions to the country’s challenges. In another reaction, he characterized the presidential announcement as a “missed appointment with history,” asserting that the proposed dialogue did not meet the expectations of many Congolese citizens.

For Claudel Lubaya, the issue extends beyond the question of certain actors’ participation in the process. “The point of disagreement is the substance. It is not the form,” he stated in Congolese media. The opposition leader went further, suggesting that the dialogue risked serving the ruling coalition more than fostering a genuine space for national consultation.

Christian Mwando questions inclusivity

Deputy and opposition member Christian Mwando Nsimba, a key figure in the Ensemble pour la République party, also voiced his concerns. He suggested that the format presented by President Tshisekedi appeared unlikely to resolve the current crisis. “What President Tshisekedi is proposing is a vast fair that will not put an end to the conflict,” he declared.

Christian Mwando specifically questioned the absence of the term “inclusive” in the head of state’s speech, a concept frequently highlighted in prior discussions about a national dialogue. The opposition figure also raised questions about the coexistence of this new consultation framework with the Doha process, which is dedicated to discussions with the AFC/M23.

Jean-Claude Katende supports certain orientations

Conversely, Jean-Claude Katende, president of the African Association for the Defense of Human Rights (ASADHO), expressed a favorable view of several aspects of the presidential address. In a message posted on X, the lawyer and human rights defender particularly commended the rejection of power-sharing. “I subscribe to President Félix Tshisekedi’s discourse on the dialogue insofar as he clearly excluded any power-sharing,” he wrote.

Jean-Claude Katende also welcomed the emphasis on citizen participation and the mechanisms designed to ensure the follow-up of adopted resolutions. However, he urged vigilance. “I am satisfied with the president’s intervention with the hope that everything he said will be observed and that it is not demagoguery,” he added.

A political test for the government

The announcement of this dialogue ushers in a new political phase for the Democratic Republic of Congo, a nation grappling with persistent insecurity in its eastern regions and numerous internal political tensions. For the current administration, the immediate challenge is to persuade political forces, civil society, and the various components of the country that this process can yield tangible results.

For the opposition, the fundamental question remains whether this dialogue will truly serve as a national consultation framework or primarily as an initiative driven by the presidential camp. The forthcoming ordinances, as announced by Félix Tshisekedi, are expected to provide further clarity on the composition of the preparatory committee and the precise modalities for participation in the upcoming national sessions.