Kigali, Rwanda | NOW THEN DIGITAL — Democratic Republic of Congo President Felix Tshisekedi stirred up quite a storm on Friday during a campaign speech in the conflict-ridden east of the country. He didn’t mince words when he compared his Rwandan counterpart, Paul Kagame, to none other than Adolf Hitler.
Now, the east of Congo has been dealing with unrelenting violence from rebel groups for ages. The Tutsi-led M23 is one of the main troublemakers, grabbing land left and right since their offensive in late 2021. The thing is, while Kinshasa and some Western countries, like the US and France, point fingers at Rwanda, saying they’re backing the M23, Kigali is all about denying any involvement.
So, there Tshisekedi was at a rally in Bukavu, South Kivu province, telling the crowd that Kagame, by having expansionist aims in Congo, is on a path that’ll lead him to a fate similar to Hitler’s. Yeah, he went there.
Tshisekedi emphasized that when he stepped into the presidential shoes, he wanted to live in peace with his neighbors. But, according to him, his neighbors, especially Kagame, are getting a bit too greedy, wanting more than they can handle.
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He’s called Rwanda a “horrible neighbor” before, accusing them of eyeing the wealth, especially mining, in eastern Congo. This time around, Tshisekedi made it clear that Kagame is up against someone determined to protect Congo from foreign aggression.
Now, Felix Tshisekedi, in office since 2019 after a somewhat controversial election, is eyeing a second term. He’s all about improving the lives of the poor, tackling corruption, and bringing peace to the war-torn east. He’s heading to Goma in North Kivu this weekend, with the election scheduled for December 20. So, it’s gearing up to be an interesting ride.
