The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is facing an inter-ethnic conflict between the Teke and Yaka communities in the provinces of Kwango and Mai-Ndombo. Government authorities put forward the thesis of political manipulation aimed at weakening state institutions and weakening state authority.
The situation is worrying, because not only does it degenerate into inter-community violence, but it is heightened by the “Mobondo”, young initiated people who take themselves for invincible beings. The latter attack the symbols of the State, and are responsible for several deaths, burning of villages and destruction of property.
According to the authorities, this situation is not due to a land dispute between the Teke and Yaka communities, as previously claimed, but rather to political manipulation fomented by political figures and notables. The latter would seek to serve their own interests by stoking tensions between the different communities and inciting them to kill each other.
The Catholic Church agrees with this thesis by affirming that “bloody invisible hands” hide behind these conflicts. The latter would be recovered by people who defend occult interests of a political and economic nature.
Beyond this crisis, the DRC is subject to several other political and security tensions. Indeed, the malaise is palpable in the Kasai region, where immobility is hampering the region’s development. Political opposition is often repressed by the security forces, and this situation has recently created an electoral conflict. However, the opposition is increasingly heard and speaks out in the media.
Despite these various crises, the Congolese Head of State, Félix Antoine Tshisekedi, paid a visit to China to renegotiate the contract of the mining agreement, thus creating a fairer redistribution of benefits for both parties. The president has also strengthened the Congolese army to deal with Rwanda’s hegemonic ambitions. Finally, the Minister of Justice filed a complaint against the M23 movement for war crimes before the ICC.
It is time for Congolese politicians to take action to put an end to these conflicts, and work together for development and peace in the country.