On May 14, 2023, the President of the Republic, Félix Antoine Tshisekedi, is traveling to Botswana. From this favorable destination for Congolese diamonds, he made a point of reaffirming his opposition to a withdrawal of the DRC from the East African Community (EAC). Despite the difficulties encountered with the Regional Force, which was unable to fulfill its offensive mission against the armed group M23, President Tshisekedi continues to support this adhesion in good faith to the EAC, motivated by the desire to improve exchanges cross-border trade with member countries of the community.
Moreover, during his trip, Félix Antoine Tshisekedi was inspired by the Botswana model for the reorganization of the diamond sector in the DRC. He also touted the investment opportunities in his country during his meeting with the President of Botswana.
However, the situation in the DRC remains worrying. Communal violence continues to plunge the country into chaos and the freedom to demonstrate is in danger. Cardinal Ambongo, on a pastoral visit to Kwango, launches pikes at the regime in place. In addition, the DRC has transferred more than 3.726 billion USD to the provinces, but what will be the benefits for the country? Faced with the humanitarian crisis that is shaking the DRC, the need for coordinated action is becoming more and more urgent.
Despite this, actions are being taken to help the displaced populations. In particular, IPAS closed a campaign to offer sexual health care and reproductive rights for displaced women from Bulengo. In Beni, police arrested 22 suspected bandits in town despite the state of siege.
The situation is also complicated with international relations. Tensions with Rwanda are still just as palpable. President Tshisekedi remains optimistic about the commitment of the FARDC and the support of the SADC military force to put an end to the Rwandan aggression. But a book entitled “Rwanda, assassin sans frontières” upsets the reality of President Kagame’s regime and adds a new dimension to the strained relations between these two countries.
In short, the DRC is a complex country, with multiple challenges and promising but fragile development prospects.