Alright, so here’s the deal – the L’Union des Patriotes Congolais/Forces Patriotiques pour la Libération du Congo (UPC/FPLC) led by Thomas Lubanga, the Mouvement lumumbiste progressiste (MLP) headed by Franck Diongo, and the Action pour la dignité du Congo et de son peuple (ADCP) led by Corneille Nangaa have all been banned from operating in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The announcement was made by the VPM, Minister of Interior, Security, Decentralization, and Customary Affairs, Jacquemain Shabani, in a telegram sent to ACTUALITE.CD on Thursday, May 15, 2025, and addressed to provincial governors and other state services. These political groups are being accused of having ties to the rebel movement M23/AFC, which is backed by Rwanda. Some of them even decided to start their own rebel movements, aiming to seize power through the Ituri province.
Thomas Lubanga, a former convict of the International Criminal Court (ICC), recently launched his own movement called the Convention pour la révolution populaire (CRP) after leaving the National Independent Electoral Commission (CENI). Corneille Nangaa, on the other hand, formed the ADCP party with a vision of turning the DRC into a “business land” to tackle the governance issues under the Tshisekedi regime. Franck Diongo, leader of the MLP, has been closely associated with the M23 rebel movement, holding meetings in Kigali and Kampala. He criticized the actions taken by the Kinshasa authorities, claiming that the move to dissolve MLP was not a legal decision but a political war tactic against the truth and the Congolese people.
Amidst the Rwandan aggression through the M23 rebellion, Kinshasa seems to be taking a hard line against those they deem as “traitors” collaborating with rebel forces. Despite calls for national unity, the government is pushing forward with the ban on these political groups, escalating tensions further. The situation is complicated, with various players involved in the power struggle, leaving the Congolese people caught in the middle of political turmoil and uncertainty. Not really sure why this matters, but it seems like things are heating up in the DRC, and the consequences could be far-reaching. Let’s see how this all plays out in the coming days.
