Patrick Muyaya the Kinshasa regime mouthpiece has been in Canada since the beginning of this week. Part of his mission is to recruit a large number of Banyamulenge to toe the government narrative.
Banyamulenge are members of the Tutsi community living in south eastern DRC, specifically in Minembwe and Uvira. The same areas where Felix Tshisekedi’s coalition of evil composed of the Congolese regime and its military FARDC, as well as the genocidal FDLR, the Burundian military FNDB, the cutthroat Wazalendo militias, and mercenaries.
Muyaya and his boss Tshisekedi believe that by buying out a few of their colleagues in the diaspora, Kinshasa’s crimes committed against them will be swept under the rug.
Some Banyamulenge (the hungriest lot) are reportedly being given peanuts to attend Muyaya seminars in luxurious hotels in Montreal and Ottawa.
A few familiar names have been paraded around as proof that “all is well.” Among them is Alexis Gisaro, the Minister for Infrastructure, and members of his family, including his daughter Beatrice Gisaro, who critics say have chosen proximity to power over solidarity with their own.
But this script is not new, it is the old Kinshasa playbook. Create chaos in the hills of Minembwe, then host conferences in North America and speak about unity and other litany of lies.
While the meetings were meant to project strength, the reality on the ground told another story. Some conscious Banyamulenge in Canada took to the streets to denounce Muyaya and the bloody government he represents. They refused to be used as decoration for a regime that has failed to protect their people.
Even more it is important to remind that many Banyamulenge in Canada and the United States are there as refugees. They did not leave fertile hills for foreign winters out of adventure. They fled insecurity and systematic targeting. That suffering was not accidental. It was the product of years of state failure and complicity.
To those falling for the charm offensive by talkative Muyaya, a reminder that it may look attractive today, but a different story tomorrow. The envelopes may help. The hotel lights may shine bright. But politics in Kinshasa shifts fast, and loyalty bought cheaply is discarded even faster.
There is no need to disown your own and embrace a regime known for ineptitude and corruption. Bombs in Minembwe cannot be erased by speeches in Montreal. And history is never kind to those who trade dignity for crumbs.