The Office of the People’s Assembly of China (Chinese Parliament), chaired by Mr. Zhao Leji, received in a working session, last Friday, the President of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Félix Antoine Tshisekedi. The opportunity for him to stress the importance of strengthening the historic partnership between the DRC and China and to ask for China’s support to bring peace to the DRC, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council.
Several members of the government are accompanying President Tshisekedi during this visit. In the afternoon, they will meet the Chinese Prime Minister and his counterpart Xi Jinping to discuss bilateral relations as well as prospects for economic cooperation.
This visit to China comes in a particular context marked in particular by the desire of the Democratic Republic of Congo to renegotiate the Contract of the Century for a fairer distribution of benefits.
Moreover, the political situation in the DRC is still tense, as evidenced by the electoral conflict which recently broke out, revealing the tensions established within Congolese society. Similarly, the territories of Kasai and Grand Bandundu are undermined by internal shenanigans and immobility which hinder their development.
Despite the obstacles, a media dynamic is currently taking place within the Congolese opposition, which must however be accompanied by a structured program in order to be able to constitute a real alternative to the power in place.
Strengthening the army, faced with the influence of Rwanda and the resulting conflicts, is also at the heart of President Félix Antoine Tshisekedi’s concerns.
Finally, the Congolese Minister of Justice has filed a complaint with the ICC against the M23 movement for war crimes, and the government recognizes the disproportionate use of force in the face of the demonstrations, while trying to cope to the emerging crisis in the province of Kwango, mixing inter-ethnic conflict and political manipulation.
The DRC is therefore faced with many challenges that involve profound changes and a questioning of the practices in place to meet the needs of the population.