** The mausoleum of Isidore Bakanja: a project at the heart of political ambition or despair? **
On May 29, 2025, the spotlights spanned on the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), while the National Assembly authorized prosecution against Constant Mutamba, a minister accused of embezzlement. This moment is indicative of a climate where allegations of financial misconduct becomes more and more frequent. However, another just as important file remains in the shadows: the mausoleum of Isidore Bakanja in Bokote. Three years after the launch of this project, a series of questions arises, both on its realization and the use of the resources allocated to it.
Isidore Bakanja, considered a Congolese martyr of colonization, should have had a sanctuary at the height of his inheritance. In March 2022, Prime Minister Jean-Michel Sama Lukonde laid the foundation stone of this mausoleum, which was supposed to include various arrangements, including an inn and an landing track. The goal was ambitious: to attract pilgrims and boost the local economy. However, three years later, the promises of concrete deliveries seem to have been swallowed up by an opaque bureaucracy.
It is essential to look at the managers of this project. Guy Loando, then Minister of State in charge of regional planning, was an agent of President Félix Tshisekedi to supervise the work. Despite substantial amounts announced as unlocked, no tangible advancement has been reported. The disappointment is palpable, both within citizens and among the members of the local Church, who tried to call for responsibility and transparency. However, this quest for clarity put them in place with the power in place.
This dynamic leads to reflect on the question of transparency and accountability in terms of public funds management. Instead of raising constructive debate, those who tried to denounce what they perceive as a fiasco are criminalized. Several members of a citizen collective have been arrested for accusations of “public order”, an approach reminiscent of repression practices in authoritarian contexts. This situation raises a crucial point: how can we hope a constructive commitment on the part of the authorities when criticism is systematically suffocated?
The problems raised by the Isidore Bakanja mausoleum are not limited to questions of embezzlement. They also reflect a broader political system, where impunity seems to reign for some, while others face severe repercussions for daring to ask for accounts. By offering an overview of this phenomenon, the case of Guy Loando deserves special attention. Although it presents itself as a philanthropist, reality on the field tells a different story, where the promised infrastructure has not emerged, despite the resources made available.
It is important to wonder why actions have not been undertaken against a minister whose management is criticized. Why is the desire to pursue political figures who seem close to power often absent? Judicial powers must act with discernment, without giving in to political pressure, by working for transparency and justice. The Attorney General Firmin Mvonde here has a significant opportunity to initiate an independent audit concerning this emblematic project. Such an operation could help restore public faith in impartial justice and capable of dealing with corruption affairs.
Civil society, on the other hand, must be encouraged to continue to alert opinion on these questions. Equal treatment before the law, the fight against corruption, and the establishment of control mechanisms must be priorities for the Congolese authorities. The Isidore Bakanja mausoleum project, beyond its monument status, could embody a redemption opportunity for weakened governance practices, provided that it is treated with transparency and diligence.
In the years to come, it is to be hoped that the lessons learned from these events make it possible to build a more solid institutional framework capable of avoiding the recurrence of such scandals. The DRC could thus give itself the means to straighten its image on the international scene and to promote real and sustainable development. It is therefore with this ambition that actors of civil society, judicial institutions and the government must collaborate to make light again the light on responsibility and transparency in the management of public affairs.