President Félix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of Congo recently unveiled a significant national initiative: a “National Dialogue for Peace, Cohesion, and the Refoundation of the State.” This ambitious undertaking, announced in a highly anticipated address to the nation, is designed to confront the persistent security, political, and social crises that have plagued the DRC for years.

President Tshisekedi outlined a process intended to diverge sharply from previous political dialogues held in the nation. He emphasized a unique, grassroots approach, stating, “This National Dialogue will first distinguish itself by its territorial anchoring: it will not commence in Kinshasa, but at the heart of our 26 provinces, our territories, and our communities.”

The Congolese leader articulated his vision for a dialogue “conceived by Congolese and for Congolese,” aiming to unearth the underlying causes of the recurring instabilities that weaken the country. While some civil society actors have welcomed this announcement, several opposition figures have swiftly voiced their reservations, deeming the proposed format insufficient or ill-suited to the current national climate.

A dialogue rooted in the provinces

The process will commence with a series of consultations across the DRC’s 26 provinces, culminating in national sessions in Kinshasa. Provincial forums are slated to gather national and provincial elected officials, representatives from both ruling and opposition parties, civil society leaders, traditional chiefs, religious denominations, and key economic, academic, and scientific figures. The primary objective is to empower each province to conduct its own comprehensive diagnostic.

“Each province will, with complete candor, establish its own diagnosis: the causes of insecurity, land and customary conflicts, community tensions, administrative shortcomings, inequalities, obstacles to development, and necessary reforms,” the Head of State explained. The findings from these local consultations will then inform the national discussions planned for Kinshasa.

Presidential ordinances to structure the process

President Tshisekedi also announced the forthcoming signing of two presidential ordinances. The first will establish an organizing committee responsible for preparing the administrative, logistical, and material aspects of the dialogue, ensuring all necessary conditions for its successful execution are met. The second ordinance will officially convene the dialogue, detailing the modalities for participant representation, the various stages of the process, and the mechanisms for monitoring the implementation of the resulting recommendations.

The President indicated that the entire process is expected to span a maximum of three months. Upon the conclusion of the national sessions, a “national pact” is anticipated to be adopted, accompanied by a permanent mechanism to monitor the commitments made.

Tshisekedi sets clear red lines

The Congolese President also established several non-negotiable boundaries. He firmly asserted that the dialogue should not be misconstrued as a platform for power-sharing. “We have too often responded to crises by sharing power rather than by consolidating the state,” he declared. Félix Tshisekedi also ruled out any challenge to the institutions established by the 2023 elections, emphasizing the imperative of maintaining constitutional order.

Another critical red line concerns the participation of armed groups. “No one will be excluded because of their opinions, their criticisms, their political affiliation, their provincial origin, their language, their ethnicity, or their religion. But no one can claim a seat at the nation’s table while taking up arms against it,” the President affirmed. This stipulation notably excludes armed movements active in the eastern part of the country, even as negotiations between Kinshasa and the AFC/M23 continue in Doha. However, the President assured that the national dialogue would not supersede ongoing regional and international diplomatic initiatives.

Claudel Lubaya calls it a “missed opportunity”

In a message posted on social media platform X, opposition figure Claudel Lubaya was particularly critical of the presidential address. “Neither vision, nor awareness of the gravity of the moment, nor responses commensurate with the crisis,” he wrote. The former deputy believes that the Head of State failed to provide the anticipated solutions to the challenges confronting the country. In another reaction, he characterized the presidential announcement as a “missed appointment with history” and suggested that the proposed dialogue did not meet the expectations of many Congolese citizens.

For Claudel Lubaya, the core issue transcends the question of certain actors’ participation in the process. “The point of disagreement is the substance. It is not the form,” he stated in Congolese media. The opposition leader went further, asserting that the dialogue risked primarily serving the ruling coalition rather than fostering a genuine space for national consultation.

Christian Mwando questions inclusivity

Deputy and opposition member Christian Mwando Nsimba, a key figure in the Ensemble pour la République party, also voiced his concerns. He believes the format presented by President Tshisekedi appears inadequate to resolve the current crisis. “What President Tshisekedi is proposing is a vast fair that will not put an end to the conflict,” he asserted. Christian Mwando particularly questioned the absence of the term “inclusive” in the Head of State’s speech, a concept frequently emphasized in prior discussions regarding a national dialogue. The opposition figure also raised questions about the compatibility of this new consultation framework with the ongoing Doha process, which focuses on discussions with the AFC/M23.

Jean-Claude Katende supports certain directions

Conversely, Jean-Claude Katende, President of the African Association for the Defense of Human Rights (ASADHO), expressed a favorable view of several aspects of the presidential address. In a message shared on X, the lawyer and human rights defender specifically applauded the rejection of power-sharing. “I subscribe to President Félix Tshisekedi’s discourse on dialogue insofar as he has clearly excluded any power-sharing,” he wrote. Jean-Claude Katende also welcomed the emphasis on citizen participation and the mechanisms designed to ensure the follow-up of adopted resolutions. However, he urged vigilance, adding, “I am satisfied with the President’s intervention, with the hope that everything he said will be observed and that it is not demagoguery.”

A political test for the government

The announcement of this dialogue ushers in a new political phase for a nation grappling with persistent insecurity in its eastern regions and numerous internal political tensions. For the government, the immediate challenge lies in convincing political forces, civil society, and the diverse components of the country that this process can yield tangible results. For the opposition, the lingering question is whether this dialogue will genuinely serve as a national consultation framework or primarily as an initiative driven by the presidential camp. The forthcoming ordinances announced by Félix Tshisekedi are expected to provide further clarity on the composition of the preparatory committee and the precise modalities for participation in the upcoming national sessions.