Joseph Kabila, the former president of the Democratic Republic of Congo, is making his return to the country’s political scene after a long absence. It is obvious that this will reshuffle the political cards and change the lines, but the exact nature of this change is not yet known.
Kabila was the main player in the political life of the DRC for two decades, but the political scene he finds at the moment is not the same as before. Many players have changed their jackets after the great political and military transfer window carried out by the new government. The “Raïs” must therefore take care to ensure that his return results in that of the providential man who will save the country from the misery in which it currently finds itself.
Indeed, despite the highly publicized transfer of power five years ago, the change so long awaited by the silent majority of the population is slow to arrive. The Congolese are still confronted with the same galley, and “misery” continues to reign. Economic and social indicators are still just as bad, and people are struggling to make ends meet.
Kabila’s return to the political scene may be seen as a remedy for some, but there is no shortage of critics. The opposition has demonized his rule, blaming him for all the ills of the country since independence. However, peoples have the annoying tendency to adore today what they burned yesterday, and to burn what they adored yesterday. Thus, the return of Kabila can be a chance for the country, provided that the “Raïs” manages to convince the population that he is the only recourse to get the country out of the crisis in which it currently finds itself.
In short, the return of Joseph Kabila to the Congolese political scene is a major issue for the future of the country. Expectations are high and challenges many, but hopes are also allowed