The United States and the European Union has enlisted high ranking officials of President Felix Tshisekedi government for possible sanctions as insecurity and human rights abuse rise in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
According to diplomatic intel, the US and EU is preparing to take stringent action against members of the Congolese leadership seen to deliberately escalate the situation using their positions of influence.
Congolese international partners are fed up with the humanitarian crisis that has beset the DRC over the years and are not prepared to support another leadership that will plunge the country into further crisis.
About seven million Congolese are internally displaced due to the war in the east while ethnic battles in the west have also posed another problem with thousands displaced so far. Generally, the war in Congo is believed to have claimed the lives of over 15 million people in nearly 30 years. The insecurity in Katanga and the looting of minerals are all documented as hotspots and the governors of the respective locations are not helping matters aead of the elections.
The US and the EU has identified Interior Minister Peter Kazadi, CENI president Denis Kadima Kazadi, Information minister Patrick Muyaya, the head of intelligence (ANR) Herve Biosha, telecommunications (CSAC) boss Christian Bosembe, UDPS president Augustin Kabuya, special advisor to the President for security Jean Claude Bukasa, head of mission for the president Bruno Nyenge, Governors Jacques Kyabula Katwe (Haut Katanga), Fifi Masuka (Lualaba) and Gentiny Ngobila (Kinshasa) among the initial culprits targeted.
Kazadi is targeted for being the man behind instructions to curtail recent peaceful demonstrations that has led to police harming ordinary citizens. Kadima is being closely watched over the controversial handling of the electoral process ahead of the December 20, 2023 polls. Muyaya has been enlisted for monitoring because of inflammatory statements driven by falsehoods against members of the opposition. Kabuya is a target for playing tribal politics by pitting kasais with katangese in what is feared could be a deadly ethnic uprising.
The security advisors are seen as the key personnel behind the arbitrary arrests of President Tshisekedi’s opponents.
Katwe and Masuka are said to have executed orders of the central government that led to the killing of 50 UNAFEC youths by commandos in Lubumbashi which situation has not been resolved.
“A lot of people have died in Congo over the years. The international community will no longer tolerate a leadership that will take the country on a path to further destruction. And those around President Tshisekedi pushing this agenda to plunge Congo into chaos will pay a huge price,” a member of the diplomatic corp not authorized to speak has said.
It is not the first time the US and EU would have sanctioned leaders in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Some key leaders in President Joseph Kabila’s government were sanctioned for promoting a dictatorial regime.
