In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the grave allegations made by Corneille Nangaa against Félix Tshisekedi have ignited intense discussions since Saturday, September 23rd. In a press release, the former head of the electoral commission during the 2018 presidential elections accused the current President of falsehood.
Félix claimed that a political agreement had indeed been reached at the time with Joseph Kabila to facilitate a peaceful transition of power in the country, with the endorsement of three African powers. Nangaa asserted that he was one of the co-authors of this agreement.
The notion of a Kabila-Tshisekedi accord has been at the center of opposition leader Martin Fayulu’s allegations for the past five years, with Fayulu claiming to be the true winner of the election. Prince Epenge, a spokesperson for the Lamuka coalition, is calling for an investigation: “This is a sufficiently grave assertion that warrants an inquiry by the Attorney General of the Republic. We cannot expend one billion dollars, mobilize over 50 million voters, only to conclude with a murky compromise between Kabila and Felix Tshisekedi, thereby sidelining the true victor, Martin Fayulu.”
“We are just three months away from the upcoming elections,” continues Prince Epenge. “Unfortunately, we have not yet drawn any conclusions from these claims. The current President of the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) is leading the people towards another political compromise. Today, the international community must assist Congo in regaining its dignity through inclusive, transparent, and peaceful elections.”
Supporters of President Tshisekedi dismiss this theory as unfounded. Thierry Monsenepwo, a member of the presidium of the Union sacrée pour la nation, the coalition formed around the head of state believes that Corneille Nangaa is seeking publicity by attributing grave allegations to himself: “First and foremost, Mr. Corneille Nangaa consistently finds himself in a position where he needs to resort to contradictions and lies to remain relevant.
The only political agreement that exists is the governance agreement signed between the Common Front for Congo (FCC), represented by Professor Néhémie Mwilanya, and Jean-Marc Kabund on behalf of Cach, which was made public on March 6, 2019, resulting in the government of Sylvestre Ilunga Ilunkamba on July 10, 2019.”
“It is therefore out of the question that another agreement exists,” continues Thierry Monsenepwo. “This statement can be explained by two factors: firstly, Corneille Nangaa is currently adopting a posture aimed at denigrating the government and discrediting the Congolese state so that he can subsequently attract the spotlight. Secondly, Nangaa is playing the role, of the person called upon to strike a blow against democracy to discredit the upcoming elections. Unfortunately, Nangaa’s posture aligns to infuriate the entire population.”
Still under sanctions from the United States for corruption and obstructing the democratic process, Corneille Nangaa is in exile and has declared himself a candidate for the December 2023 presidential elections.