False sovereignty and submission to the imperialists : Who does Felix Tshisekedi serve?
Written by Maurice Odingo, a Pan-Africanist organizer based in the DRC and the General Secretary of the Comité de Kinshasa.
Since becoming president of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Felix Tshisekedi has presented himself as the defender of national sovereignty and the guarantor of the dignity of the Congolese people. But behind this rhetoric lies a brutal reality: that of a regime deeply aligned with the interests of the imperialist powers and the local ruling class.
Deceptive rhetoric and capitalist policy
The Tshisekedi regime claims to be defending national independence, while at the same time handing over the country's resources to Western multinationals. Strategic sectors such as mining, energy and agriculture remain dominated by foreign interests, ensuring profits for a small group of corrupt leaders, while the working masses and peasants sink into misery.
Rich Congo, poor people
The problem of the Congo is that its immense wealth does not belong to the Congolese people. Its resources are monopolized, exploited and sold off by a handful of political and economic elites, led by Tshisekedi, for the benefit of the imperialist powers. As for the people, they survive in unworthy material conditions: mass unemployment, exploitation and a lack of decent public services.
The Lobito Corridor: yet another imperialist tool
On March 18, an emissary of Donald Trump landed in Kinshasa, then travelled to Kolwezi, in the Lualaba region, to reinforce the the Lobito Corridor project. This project, supported by the United States government, the European Union and other Western powers, aims to facilitate the export of Congolese minerals via Atlantic ports, not for the development of Congo, but to accelerate its looting. Tshisekedi is actively promoting this project, proving once again his alignment with imperialist interests.
Regaining control of our land and wealth
The Tshisekedi regime embodies the duality of a system which, under the guise of opportunistic nationalism, perpetuates the exploitation and control of the masses. Real sovereignty cannot exist without popular control over our resources. It's not enough to change the rhetoric, we have to change the system. This means breaking with Western alliances, taking back our land, our mines, our factories, and building a people's power based on the needs of the masses.
This battle cannot be waged individually. It requires organization, mass consciousness and collective action. We call on all workers, peasants, young people and women to join revolutionary organizations to build a popular movement that will shatter the chains of imperialism and the complicity of local elites.