In June 2023, the UDPS took part in the meeting of the Africa Committee of the Socialist International, the world organization of socialist and progressive parties, to which the party had been invited as a member. The theme of the meeting was “Consolidating democracy and strengthening the capacities of States in the African region”. The UDPS delegation was led by Augustin Kabuya, who has also served as vice-president of the Socialist International since the Madrid congress in 2022.
During the meeting, Mr. Kabuya expressed his concern about the presence of Rwandan troops on Congolese territory under cover of the M23. He called on the Socialist International to support peace and stability in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the consequences of this presence were particularly serious, affecting the education of children and the plunder of wealth.
Mr. Kabuya also denounced the tribal hate speech of the Congolese political opposition, which attacks the head of state, Felix-Antoine Tshisekedi, and undermines the progress made by the current administration. At the meeting, he was elected as Vice-Chair for the Africa Committee.
The meeting also enabled the development of an action plan for the Dakar Declaration, which resulted in 14 resolutions on political Africa, democracy, peace, multilateralism, women’s rights, African youth , ecological transition and action against identity withdrawal.
This meeting underscored the importance of cooperation between progressive parties in the struggle for democracy and against oppression in Africa. The participation of the UDPS demonstrates the party’s commitment to promoting stability and peace in the region