Title: The Party of Moïse Katumbi responds to accusations concerning the contact of a Rwandan officer in the mobile phone of Salomon Idi Kalonda
Introduction :
The Ensemble pour la République party, led by Moïse Katumbi, reacted recently to accusations that Katumbi’s special adviser, Salomon Idi Kalonda, was in collusion with M23 officials and Rwandan officers to destabilize the country. One of the pieces of evidence put forward is the discovery of a contact of a Rwandan officer in Kalonda’s phone. However, the party claims that this contact dates from 2018 and was obtained during an official meeting with President Paul Kagame. In this article, we will examine the explanations provided by Katumbi’s party and the reactions to this affair.
The background of the case:
Salomon Idi Kalonda, special adviser to Moïse Katumbi, was arrested at N’djili airport more than a month ago, but his trial has been delayed. Military intelligence accuses him of being in collusion with leaders of the M23, a rebel group, and Rwandan officers with the aim of destabilizing the country and placing a leader of Katangese origin at its head. One of the evidence cited is the discovery of a contact of a Rwandan officer in Kalonda’s phone.
The explanations provided by the party Together for the Republic:
During a press conference held in Kinshasa, Dieudonné Bolengetenge, secretary general of the party Together for the Republic, provided explanations concerning the contact of a Rwandan officer in the mobile phone of Salomon Idi Kalonda. According to the party, this contact dates back to 2018 and was obtained during a meeting with President Paul Kagame, then chairman of the African Union. Kalonda accompanied Moïse Katumbi during this meeting, which was also attended by Félix Tshisekedi, current president of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The contact in question was Kagame’s focal point during this meeting.
The refutation of the accusations of collusion with the M23:
Regarding the allegations of collusion with M23 officials, the party Ensemble pour la République categorically rejects them, saying that no evidence has been presented to support these accusations. They point out that Kalonda was detained for two weeks by military intelligence, but no evidence was found to support the allegations of collusion.
The detention of Salomon Idi Kalonda:
After two weeks of detention by military intelligence, Salomon Idi Kalonda was transferred to the military prison of Ndolo, in Kinshasa, pending the opening of his trial. The Ensemble pour la République party insists that Kalonda is the victim of a fabricated political affair and that his arrest aims to discredit him and the party of Moïse Katumbi.
Conclusion :
The case of the contact of a Rwandan officer in Salomon Idi Kalonda’s cell phone continues to raise questions and debates. The Ensemble pour la République party, led by Moïse Katumbi, has provided explanations for this contact, saying it dates back to 2018 and was obtained during an official meeting with President Paul Kagame. However, accusations of collusion with M23 officials remain disputed by the party