Africa-Press. Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi has laid out a series of conditions governing the organisation of the anticipated national dialogue, during a speech to the diplomatic corps in Kinshasa on Saturday, 31 January. While welcoming the initiative, the head of state stressed the need to establish a clear framework for its conduct and implementation mechanisms.
Tshisekedi said the proposed dialogue must take place within national territory and under the exclusive supervision of state institutions, emphasizing that such a process “cannot be conducted outside the country or beyond the institutional frameworks enshrined in the Constitution”.
He also underlined that the Catholic and Protestant churches would not be tasked with overseeing the initiative, clearly signalling his desire for the dialogue to remain fully under state authority.
Addressing the conditions of the process, the Congolese president stressed that the national dialogue must not call into question the legitimacy of institutions elected through universal suffrage, particularly the presidency, despite objections from part of the opposition that challenges his victory and his management of public affairs.
“We reaffirm our openness to a peaceful, inclusive, and genuinely republican dialogue aimed at strengthening national cohesion without undermining the institutions endorsed by the people through the ballot box,” Tshisekedi said.
The president also noted that the process could not serve as a gateway to overturn court decisions or review judicial rulings, stressing the need to “apply justice firmly and without any leniency”. This comes amid recent verdicts targeting leaders of the Congo River Alliance/March 23 Movement, as well as former president Joseph Kabila, including sentences reaching the death penalty.
The speech suggests that the president is keen to retain full control over the dialogue process, raising questions about how the opposition will respond, particularly given calls by prominent figures such as Martin Fayulu and Moïse Katumbi to launch the dialogue without preconditions.
The initiative has also received international backing from the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s partners, notably France and Belgium, in addition to diplomatic support from Angolan President João Lourenço in recent weeks.
As attention turns to the stance the opposition forces will adopt, the framework of the national dialogue in the Democratic Republic of the Congo remains contingent on the conditions set by President Tshisekedi, reflecting his determination to keep the process within boundaries deemed appropriate by the authorities for managing the next phase.
