Former DR Congo President Joseph Kabila has spoken out following the drone strike in the eastern city of Goma, which officials from the AFC/M23 said targeted him and the movement’s leadership. The March 11 attack killed a French UNICEF employee and two Congolese civilians near Kabila’s residence in Goma, which is is control of AFC/M23. ALSO READ: Kinshasa accused of violating ceasefire as coalition forces attack on multiple fronts Speaking in an interview with Belgian newspaper La Libre, published on March 23, Kabila, who was tried in absentia and sentenced to death over treason, condemned Kinshasa's attacks in North Kivu and South Kivu provinces. “We have always been targeted by the Kinshasa regime. Was I personally targeted? Was the Congolese population targeted, as it has been for months in Masisi, on the High Plateaus, and everywhere else? Investigations are underway. But I remain optimistic.” His remarks come amid escalating fighting in South and North Kivu, where government forces (FARDC) and their allies, including Burundian troops, foreign mercenaries, the Kinshasa-backed genocidal militia FDLR, and Wazalendo groups have broadened their aerial warfare against the AFC/M23 rebels, dimming prospects for peace. Kabila also dismissed controversy surrounding his presence in Goma, as his successor Felix Tshisekedi accused him of being behind the AFC/M23 rebellion lead by former election chief Corneille Nangaa. “Goma is my home. I welcome you to the house I bought in 1999,” he said, adding that he maintains the right to engage with all Congolese stakeholders. “I believe I have the right to be in contact and speak with all Congolese people, with the primary objective of fostering unity and seeking peace. For me, it’s even a mission.” ALSO READ: Kabila welcomed in Goma as ‘great political leader’ The former president is facing mounting legal and political pressure from Kinshasa, including the lifting of his immunity as a Senator and the death sentence handed down by the military court in Kinshasa in September last year. Reacting to these measures, Kabila downplayed personal concerns and shifted focus to the country’s trajectory. “I am calm. Very calm,” he said. “The essential thing is the situation our country and its people are experiencing today in relation to what we bequeathed to Felix [Tshisekedi] in 2019.” ALSO READ: Kabila suspends his studies to ‘deal with worsening situation’ in eastern DR Congo He further emphasized that the current security crisis risks evolving into what he termed a “Sudanization” of DR Congo. “Many speak of balkanization; I speak of the ‘Sudanization’ of the crisis,” he said, pointing to parallels with the conditions that led to Sudan’s fragmentation. “We have to acknowledge that the conditions are right. And if we don't manage the crisis properly, we risk having situations that are completely uncontrollable,” Kabila argued that the current crisis is rooted in governance failure. He pointed to the multiplicity of ongoing peace initiatives, from Doha to Washington and African-led processes as evidence of fragmented efforts. “The fact that there are so many initiatives demonstrates that there has been no harmonization,” he said, adding that “what’s most lacking is genuine political will in Kinshasa...War is a choice, so is peace.” “The major problem in the DRC today is governance, lack of vision, and the fact that the Constitution is trampled underfoot by Mr. Félix [Tshisekedi] and his clan.” ALSO READ: Kabila: DR Congo should stop blame games and fix its problems The former president further called for political mobilisation against what he described as authoritarian rule. “I already said it last May: we must put an end to this dictatorship, this tyranny that has just taken hold,” he said. Referencing constitutional provisions, he said citizens have a duty to act, pointing to Article 64, which calls for resistance against unconstitutional use of power. Reacting to reported Tshisekedi's attempt to revise the Constitution, he questioned both their basis and intent. “All this tinkering is dangerous, extremely dangerous,” he said. “This temptation is typical of regimes that have completely failed. The problem does not lie with the Constitution itself. The problem is this small clique that is trying to cling to power.” ALSO READ: Former Congolese President Kabila blasts ‘demagogue’ Tshisekedi regime’s lies, populism Looking ahead, Kabila suggested that the current political system requires fundamental transformation. “This system needs a radical change,” he said, adding, “This system needs to be swept away.” He argued that change may not come through traditional electoral processes alone, proposing broader civic engagement and even internal political reforms. “The population must also be educated in civic responsibility. It will take time.” “I think the Congolese people can take charge and surprise us,” he said, pointing to rising discontent across provinces, including Katanga and Kinshasa.
