Friday, January 17, 2025
The Editorial Staff
Kagame Clashes with Tshisekedi Again, Claims He Never Won DRC Election
Kagame accuses Tshisekedi of never winning the election
Yesterday, President Paul Kagame of Rwanda strongly criticized his Congolese counterpart, Felix Tshisekedi, claiming that he was never legitimately elected. Speaking in Kigali to defense attaches accredited to Rwanda, Kagame said, "This man, Tshisekedi, was never elected." He emphasized this point, stating that Tshisekedi has failed to secure an electoral victory twice.
Kagame accused Western countries of hypocrisy, suggesting they turn a blind eye to issues of governance in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). "The first time, he was not elected at all, and you all know it, but you don’t say it publicly. I’m the one saying it now,” Kagame remarked. “The second time, again, there was no electoral victory.”
The tension between Rwanda and DRC has been escalating, with both countries accusing each other of supporting armed groups in eastern DRC. Rwanda has been linked to backing the M23 rebellion, while the DRC has been accused of supporting the FDLR, a militia tied to the 1994 Rwandan Genocide.
Tshisekedi, who was declared the winner of the DRC’s 2023 general elections with 73% of the vote, faced significant opposition. Figures such as Martin Fayulu, Moise Katumbi, and Joseph Kabila claimed the elections were rigged. In fact, investigations have cast doubt on Tshisekedi's electoral legitimacy.
In 2021, the Congo Research Group (CRG) published two leaks suggesting Martin Fayulu was the real winner of the 2018 elections. The first leak, from the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI), showed Fayulu leading with 59.42% of the votes, compared to Tshisekedi’s 18.97%.
A second leak from the Catholic Church, based on 43% of ballots tallied by CENCO’s 39,824 observers, indicated similar results, giving Fayulu 62.8% of the vote and Tshisekedi just 15%.
The official results published by CENI contradicted these findings, declaring Tshisekedi the winner with 38.57% of the vote. The discrepancies suggested possible rigging, with an estimated 3.6 million votes shifted in Tshisekedi’s favor.
Despite the controversies, Congolese courts upheld his election.Kagame criticized the inconsistency in how governance issues are addressed in Africa, urging diplomats to avoid double standards.
“Evidence or facts don’t seem to matter; it’s about what suits your interests,” he said.
Kagame stressed Rwanda’s desire for peace, adding, "We need peace more than anyone because we have experienced the consequences of lacking it."
