New dawn for DRC

Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) president Joseph Kabila's decision not to stand for elections this December paves the way for the country to finally bounce back from decades of political turmoil. Kabila's chief diplomatic advisor, Barnabe Kikaya Bin Karubi, says there is no way for Kabila to go back on his word and the nation is confident that the December election will be the first since the country gained its independence in 1960. Bin Karubi spoke to Namibian Sun on the side-lines of the Council of Ministers Meeting that forms part of the 38th SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government. According to him, Kabila's decision to step down is commendable and an indication that he respects the rule of law.Kabila took over from his assassinated father in 2001 and for the last two decades has been in charge of a DRC government that has been dogged by corruption, poor governance and armed conflict.He was obligated to step down at the end of 2016 after he reached his two-term limit, but a constitutional clause allowed him to remain in office until his successor is elected.Bin Karubi, who is currently in Namibia representing his country at the Council of Ministers meeting, says Kabila can only cling onto power if he changes the constitution, and that is impossible in such a short time. “This coming December we will have an election, and the Congolese people will have a chance to choose a new president. And among the candidates, there is one that is being appointed by the president's political party and the presidential platform and if he (Kabila) allows that then it means he is going away,” Bin Karubi says. Kabila picked former interior minister Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary to represent the ruling coalition just hours before the deadline to register candidates.According to Bin Karubi, Kabila wants the era of assassinations and bloody political takeovers to come to an end.“Change of power in the Congo has always been associated with bloodshed, ever since independence. Our first prime minister, Patrice Lumumba, was assassinated. Mobutu Sese Seko came and killed so many people throughout his 32 years of the most vicious military dictatorship. President Laurent Kabila, who liberated the country, was also assassinated. We must break that trend and have a civilised transfer of power,” he says. Way forward The biggest challenge that now lies ahead for his country is to rebuild and stabilise the economy, says Bin Karubi.According to him, the plan is to educate the Congolese people about democratic values and that power is acquired through the ballot box and not the barrel of the gun. “As you know, in the DRC you have so many armed groups roaming around in the country and we have so many youth with insurrectionist ideas,” he says. According to him there is a need for a good economic development plan, so that the people of the Congo can finally benefit from the riches of the country. JEMIMA BEUKES

New dawn for DRC

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-01

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New dawn for DRC

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-01

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