Key Congolese opposition members have rejected Burundian President Évariste Ndayishimiye’s invitation. They saw right through Ndayishimiye, who was masquerading as a mediator while simply being a Tshisekedi tool. Loudly, they pointed to the obvious fact that Ndayishimiye is not a neutral party in the conflict, but a belligerent.
Tshisekedi and Ndayishimiye plotted a plan to torpedo demands for inter-Congolese talks. Initially, Angola was to host the talks, but the Kinshasa regime blocked it by issuing arrest warrants against 90 percent of participants. By launching parallel, unsolicited talks in Bujumbura, Ndayishimiye and Tshisekedi worked out a way to lock out real opposition members.
In Kinshasa, Ndayishimiye had revealed his hand when he called for Congolese to unite against a “common enemy.” Ndayishimiye’s mission is therefore a coalition building exercise rather than a mediation one. He is desperately trying to help his ally and paymaster secure an illegal third term bid.
For Tshisekedi and Ndayishimiye, the only viable game plan is to use ethnic hatred in a witch hunt for a “common enemy.” Plan B, however, is outright bribery. Sources within the diplomatic corps confirmed the unorthodox corrupt approach.
“The delegates that came to Bujumbura had particular demands. Some wanted juicy government appointments while others wanted cash,” our source revealed, “and mind you, Ndayishimiye took notes and asked them to give him 24 hours for a response. One can easily guess that Ndayishimiye wanted to talk to Tshisekedi about the appointments as envelopes of cash were offered on arrival.”
Most opposition members stayed away from Bujumbura as they also feared for their safety. In fact, the Burundian regime’s military already holds hundreds of Congolese in illegal, incommunicado secret detention facilities. On a daily basis, Ndayishimiye bombs Congolese citizens on Tshisekedi’s behalf. They knew Ndayishimiye would either kill them on the spot or ship them to Kinshasa for the same fate.
Congolese citizens have been victimized and killed in the thousands by the Ndayishimiye-Tshisekedi-FDLR coalition. Bribing a dozen or less politicians will not change Tshisekedi’s unpopularity or the desire for change in Congo.