DRC: President Tshisekedi tries, in vain, to calm things down in the Karega affair
(illustration) On August 24, 1998, according to the UN, the RCD rebels and their Rwandan military allies did massacre more than a thousand civilians in villages in South Kivu.
JOHN WESSELS / AFP
Text by: RFI Follow
4 min
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, President Félix Tshisekedi calms things down. The Congolese head of state has spoken out on the case Vincent Karega, the Rwandan ambassador accused of denial of the massacres of Congolese in Kasika, in the South- Kivu, in 1998. Vincent Karega had relativized the responsibility of the Rwandan soldiers and rejected the content of the Mapping report as published by the UN High Commissioner.
No question of expelling this diplomat, said the president in front of Congolese journalists based in Brussels.
Words that arouse an outcry in Kinshasa.
Publicity
Read more
with our correspondent in Kinshasa,
Pascal Mulegwa
“
There is no point in creating an untoward incident
,” the president said.
Félix Tshisekedi affirmed that steps at the diplomatic level have been undertaken for Kigali to reframe Vincent Karega.
The president's remarks were faithfully reported by the press, one of his close associates told RFI.
For the pro-Kabila senator, Francine Muyumba, who has been fuming for several months against the "lack of restraint" of diplomats accredited to Kinshasa, "
we cannot sacrifice the honor of a nation to satisfy the interests of the allies
".
Also, president of the Commission for External Relations of the Congolese Senate, Francine Muyumba considered that Vincent Karega had committed a "
serious fault
" which "
should be clearly denounced by the Congolese authorities
".
The citizen movement Lucha believes that President Tshisekedi is not courageous to take such a decision.
He accuses the head of state of violating the dignity of the Congolese people.
Because he doesn't deserve it, or because you are not brave enough to make such a decision?
Whatever, the Congolese people have expressed themselves and will continue to do so to defend their dignity, which you flout for the reasons you know.
@ fatshi13 https://t.co/mfx7zMo3eH
LUCHA 🇨🇩 (@luchaRDC) October 2, 2020
As for the Filimbi movement, of which Floribert Anzuluni is the coordinator, he considers the president's position unacceptable and promises to continue his mobilizations.
"
The position of the President of the Republic is difficult to understand and not acceptable, especially since it goes against the will of the great majority of citizens,
explains us
Floribert Anzuluni
.
What would Rwanda have done if a foreign diplomat made similar comments to Rwanda about the Rwandan genocide?
We will continue the mobilization campaign until the diplomat leaves the DRC, it is really a question of dignity
!
"
►
Read also
: In the DRC, controversy after a tweet from the Rwandan ambassador on the Kasika massacre
It is not only civil society that demands the expulsion of Vincent Karega.
Members of the opposition are among the number.
Both camps have come together, not only by the absence of official commemorations, but also by the lack of justice for the 617 crimes listed in the
United Nations
Mapping
report.
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