THE Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) government has recalled all civil servants working for former president Joseph Kabila, effectively stripping him of state security and supporting staff.
In a statement, the director of the finance ministry, Mulueme Kilolo, said all those attached to Kabila’s official residence, the Vatican Site, should report to President Felix Tshisekedi’s official residence, known by its French name, Palais de la Nation (state house), by the end of April.
The statement did not provide reasons — and, by the time of going to press, the DRC government had yet to respond to questions sent to it.
Tshisekedi succeeded Kabila after the 2019 general elections, which the latter didn’t take part in as the country moved away from the Kabila dynasty, which started with the late Laurent-Désiré Kabila, who drove away Mobutu Sese Seko in 1997.
However, relations between Tshisekedi and Kabila have been on and off. Last month, the Laurent-Désiré Kabila Foundation, dedicated to his legacy, was raided by the state in Kinshasa.
The foundation’s president, Jaynet Désirée Kabila Kyungu, who is Joseph’s twin sister, said it was the third time it had happened. After the raid, the media reported that Kyungu was summoned to the military intelligence offices in Kinshasa, where she was questioned for four hours . – News24