US sanctions against Joseph Kabila: Félix Tshisekedi was already saying in 2024 that \\\"the AFC/M23, that\\\'s him\\\"

At a time when the United States has sanctioned former Congolese President Joseph Kabila for his alleged support of the M23 and the AFC, an old statement by Félix Tshisekedi has resurfaced. On April 30, 2026, the US Treasury announced targeted sanctions against Kabila, accusing him of providing support to the M23, a group backed by Rwanda, and of contributing to instability in eastern DRC.

This reminder refers to an interview given in Brussels in August 2024, in which the Congolese president already accused his predecessor of being behind the Congo River Alliance linked to the M23. Press reports from the time quoted Tshisekedi as saying: \\\"Joseph Kabila boycotted the election and is preparing an insurrection, because he is the Congo River Alliance.\\\"

Even then, this accusation made a strong impression because it directly linked Kabila to the AFC/M23 political and military apparatus. But it must be remembered that in 2024, Tshisekedi did not publicly present any evidence in that interview, and the Kabila camp has always rejected these accusations.

The American sanctions today give a new international dimension to this old political accusation. They do not constitute a judicial conviction in themselves, but they show that Washington is now adopting, at its level, the idea that Joseph Kabila played a role in supporting the AFC/M23.

In summary, it is accurate to say that even before the 2026 US sanctions, Félix Tshisekedi had already stated in Brussels in August 2024 that the AFC/M23 was linked to Joseph Kabila. What has changed today is that this accusation has now been officially adopted by the United States in its sanctions regime.

Author: Mecamedia Africa
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