The July 19 signing of the Declaration of Principles in Doha between Tshisekedi and the Congo River Alliance (AFC/M23), mediated by Qatar, was supposed to mark a turning point toward peace in eastern DRC. Yet from day one, Felix Tshisekedi and his regime have violated the very commitments it signed, most glaringly the permanent ceasefire and the release of M23/AFC prisoners.
This is the crux of why peace remains as distant as ever.
Instead of honouring the ceasefire, Tshisekedi’s fascist regime continues to mass its Tonton Macoute forces (Wazalendo) along the Uvira axis, preparations that directly betray the Doha spirit. Recent clashes in Masisi, Walikale, and Walungu between July 15 and 22 show pro-Tshisekedi militias, backed by the FARDC, waging guerrilla warfare in open defiance of the agreed truce. This is a deliberate choice to keep pursuing military victory while pretending to negotiate. By ignoring the permanent ceasefire, Tshisekedi proves that the Doha commitments were, to him, nothing but political theatre.
Equally central to the Doha Declaration is the release of civilians and military cadres unjustly detained by the Tshilomboian Gestapo, men and women imprisoned simply for speaking Swahili, Kinyarwanda, or being born with the wrong “facial features.” Yet months later, the prisons remain full. The release of these prisoners is a non-negotiable condition of building trust. Tshisekedi’s refusal to free them shows contempt for the declaration he signed and scorn for the Congolese people’s hope for peace.
It is astonishing that a man who spent 30 years in Belgium, catapulted to power by a backroom deal with Kabila, has failed even the simplest test of statesmanship, keeping his word. Instead, Tshisekedi clings to tribal propaganda and repression, ignoring the fact that the DRC belongs to all Congolese, including Rwandophone communities whose Congolese nationality was shaped by colonial borders.
In the end, despite all the fine words in Doha, the Kinshasa regime stands exposed; it never intended to implement the core provisions of the Declaration of Principles. The permanent ceasefire remains shattered, and M23/AFC prisoners remain behind bars. Until Tshisekedi becomes serious, talk of peace will remain what it has always been under his rule: a cheap lie.