Former DR Congo President Joseph Kabila has urged the country to take responsibility for its internal problems instead of blaming external actors, including Rwanda, for its ongoing crisis. Congo cannot continue to be this crybaby in the region, talking about how weak it is and how strong everybody else is—that is not the right approach, Kabila told reporters in Johannesburg on March 18, after meeting former South African President Thabo Mbeki. ALSO READ: Kagame, Tshisekedi hold talks in Qatar Kabila also spoke about his predecessor’s accusations that Rwanda is backing the AFC/M23 rebels, noting that the real issue lies within DR Congo itself. “If I am weak, whose fault is it? Is it the fault of my neighbour or my enemy, or is it my fault?” he questioned, urging Congolese leadership to look inward rather than shifting blame. “Congo should go into the internal dynamics of what is happening in the country and leave out the blame game of thinking that everything that is happening is a result of someone else. At a certain point, we have to ask ourselves, Is it not us who are the problem? And how do we solve it as Congolese?” he added. ALSO READ: DR Congo crisis: Banyamulenge villages in South Kivu attacked again Kabila also pointed directly at President Félix Tshisekedi, stating that the solution to the country's crisis ultimately rests with him. He also dismissed as “baseless” Tshisekedi’s allegations that he is behind the AFC/M23 rebels, who have taken control of two major cities in eastern DR Congo since January. “If I were an accomplice of the M23, the situation would be different from what it is now. Ask Tshisekedi to provide you with evidence to support his allegations,” he said. Kabila said he made “mistakes” when he supported Tshisekedi when he came to power in 2019, adding that the current crisis is a result of violations of the rule of law and the constitution. “The problem is President Felix, and the solution is President Felix ... Critical decisions have to be made, and in critical times, you have to make critical solutions. This is a critical moment for Congo,” he said. He said he was not happy about the instability that has plagued the country for decades. “The crisis in Congo should not be recurring—where we have peace for a certain period and then return to war. The Congolese people do not deserve that. We must go back to the basics and question where we have gone wrong.” ALSO READ: DR Congo crisis: EAC-SADC ministers agree to pursue political, military tracks He also said the Congolese people have been sidelined in discussions and efforts to bring peace to DR Congo, adding that his engagement with Congolese opposition politicians in recent weeks was meant to address that. “Everybody else is talking about Congo except the Congolese. The Congolese themselves are ignored. Let us get together, analyze the role of each and every one, and work for peace,” he urged. Kabila underscored that no external intervention could bring lasting peace to DR Congo without the involvement and commitment of its own people. “There is nothing new or efficient that an outside party is going to bring forward for the Congo crisis without the knowledge and role of the Congolese themselves,” he noted.
