Doctor and prominent Congolese opposition figure Dr. Denis Mukwege has reaffirmed Kinshasa’s accusations that former President Joseph Kabila Kabange is being used by Rwanda.
Kabila, who led the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) from 2001 to 2019, has long been accused by the Congolese government of collaborating with the M23 rebel group, which Kinshasa claims is backed by Rwanda.
These accusations intensified recently when Kabila announced plans to travel to eastern regions of the DRC currently controlled by the M23.
Since last Sunday, Kabila has been in Goma, a city under M23 control. Reports suggest that during his stay, he has met with leaders of the AFC coalition, which includes the M23 group.
In a recent interview with France 24, Dr. Mukwege echoed Kinshasa’s claims that Kabila is indeed being used by Rwanda.
Asked by journalist Marc Perelman whether he also believed Kabila was “a puppet of President Paul Kagame,” Mukwege responded:
“His rhetoric speaks for itself. He has never condemned the President of Rwanda as an invader [of the DRC], even though UN Security Council Resolution 2773 explicitly calls for Rwanda’s withdrawal from the DRC without preconditions. Furthermore, he entered [Goma] via Rwanda. These are undeniable facts. I would say his actions are now very clear.”
Mukwege also insisted that Kabila owes the Congolese people an explanation for why, in 2018, he handed power to Félix Antoine Tshisekedi, despite the fact that Tshisekedi had not won the presidential election.
