Democratic Republic of the Congo

Congolese Movement for Democracy (RCD)

General Secretariat of the RCD

 

Press Declaration

 

The putschist group from Goma expels itself from the RCD

 

The group from Goma has just published the list of members who are part of their leadership. For the progressives and the democrats of the political leadership, as well as for the overwhelming majority of members at the basis of the RCD, this means that the putschists have signed their expulsion from the ranks of the movement with this action.

The Congolese progressives and democrats under the leadership of President Wamba dia Wamba are going to hold an important meeting in Kisangani in short in order to take notice of the self-expulsion of the militaristic group from Goma and to newly elect a political leadership in accordance with the basic aims of the RCD: lasting peace, national reconstruction and the construction of a modern democratic state.

The crisis within RCD started with its foundation. From the beginning, the Mobutists and the militarists tried to get hold of the leadership of the movement and at the same time to stick to their old practices; that way they opposed the democratic spirit as it is emphasized in the political declaration, one of the basic documents of the RCD.

A dispute went on within the movement in order to transform the RCD into a real liberation movement aimed at criticizing the personal power of Mobutu and Kabila. This led to the development of two lines within the leadership: the democratic line which demanded this process of change and the militarist line which was supported by the followers of the permanent coup d´etat and represented by the present putschists.

President Wamba dia Wamba, the progressives and democrats in the political leadership had refused to react to the constant provocation of the militarist group of Goma. They were more concerned with finding a solution on the foundation of democratic dispute within the movement and avoiding any armed confrontation in the liberated areas.

The representatives of the militarist line had carried out several sabotage orders in Kisangani including the incitement of the military to cause bloodshed. In Goma the fascist wing of this group had started arresting important personalities and citizens who they assumed were close to the democratic stream of the RCD. Bizima Karaha had even distributed a list of the assembly members at the airports under his control (Goma, Gisenyi, Bukavu and Kindu) in order to prevent the latter from getting to Kisangani. To prevent the assembly members from traveling, the Goma group organized an alleged political and military course for the members of the executive committee and the assembly against their will. These persons were practically kept as prisoners for 3 weeks while the putschists refined their plans. The methods preferred by the Mobutists and militarists remain to be intrigues, corruption and any form of intimidation, including threats of murder.

Despite a fake declaration that announced the dissolution of all organs through the small group of individuals, President Wamba recently preferred dialogue and political discussion within the corresponding institutions. The assembly of members was planned for Thursday, May 20 in Goma. The majority of members had already come together for the assembly.

Because the putschists feared their isolation in the formal central organs of the RCD (member assembly of 147 members, political council of 10 members, executive committee of 27 members) they hurried to create a new structure, the memorable „founders' college„ with no more than 10 members. It is well known that these persons were under time pressure in order to avoid the democratic control over their management of public affairs in the liberated areas. The president had demanded the auditing of the governmental body under the administration of the RCD.

Through their radicalization, this fringe group from Goma had now exposed itself to the Congolese people and the international public. For a long time they had profited from the cover of the Congolese progressives and democrats who believed they could lead them back on the right track by means of democratic discussion.

The struggle for the victory of the democratic line within the RCD is closely connected with the struggle for democracy in the Congo, a decisive condition for the solution of the crisis of the century that has affected the Congolese people.

 

Shambuyi Kalala, member of the Political Council and general secretary (a.i.) of the RCD