Ahead of the visit by French President Emmanuel Macron to the Democratic Republic of Congo, a section of Congolese youth staged protests, claiming that he was “close to Rwanda” and thereby working with their so-called aggressors. President Macron is expected in DR Congo this coming weekend, as part of his four-nation African tour that started Wednesday. The protests are the result of a diversionary narrative that has been pushed by the Congolese leadership since fighting resumed in eastern DR Congo last year, pitting a coalition comprised of government forces and a collection of militia groups, including remnants of perpetrators of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda (FDLR), on the one hand, and the M23 rebel group on the other. Keen to deflect attention to their own failings, Congolese authorities have accused Rwanda of supporting M23, which is a group made by Congolese nationals mainly hailing from the eastern part of the country, who accuse Kinshasha of reneging on previous peace deals and continuing to exclude and persecute their people. The protesters claim that President Macron is close to Rwanda and by extension backs the M23 group, which quite unfortunate. Since skirmishes broke out again last year, M23 has maintained an open door for negotiations with the Congolese government despite the former gaining considerably on the battlefield. Different initiatives backed by heads of state within the region – including under the auspices of the East African Community (EAC) and the International Conference for the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) – have been initiated with a view to end the conflict. However, all these efforts have been frustrated by the Congolese government, which signs onto different communiques but changes tack the moment they get back home and once again blame everyone but themselves, while doing nothing to resolve the issue. It is rather unfortunate that Congolese citizens are venting their anger at Macron and other external parties for the their own problems, instead of directing their frustration where they should; their government. They have also previously blamed the UN, and the EAC troops deployed to facilitate the implementation of the peace efforts which have been scuttled by the DR Congo government. Indeed, it is incumbent upon the Congolese electorate to hold their government to account rather than directing blame elsewhere.
