The leader of the Democratic Republic of the Congo has escalated his rhetorical attacks on his Rwandan political counterpart by comparing him to Adolf Hitler.
Paul Kagame, according to Félix Tshisekedi, is behaving like Hitler, and he made a statement by saying, “I promise he will end up like Hitler.”
Mr. Tshisekedi, who is running for re-election, spoke at a rally in Bukavu, near the Rwandan border. He has frequently accused Rwanda of supporting insurgents in his country’s east, which Rwanda has always denied.
What is the matter with calling Hitler?
The Congolese president’s remarks were regarded as “a loud and clear threat” by a Rwandan government spokeswoman. Mr. Tshisekedi is attempting to gain support for a second term, with the election less than two weeks away.
Despite efforts to stop the violence, such as ceasefire agreements and the presence of regional and UN forces, which are now departing, insecurity persists in the country’s east.
A slew of armed groups have wreaked havoc, notably Tutsi-led M23 rebels, which Mr. Tshisekedi claims are backed by Rwanda. In a report released in 2023, a UN group of experts made a similar assessment, with the US supporting its findings.
The M23 has taken over Congolese land, forcing hundreds of thousands of people to escape.
Mr. Tshisekedi told supporters on Friday night that he would inform Mr. Kagame that “since he wanted to behave like Adolf Hitler by having expansionist aims, I promise he will be punished.”
Despite efforts to stop the violence, such as ceasefire agreements and the presence of regional and UN forces, which are now departing, insecurity persists in the country’s east.
Mr. Tshisekedi told supporters on December 8, 2023, that he would inform Mr. Kagame that “since he wanted to behave like Adolf Hitler by having expansionist aims, I promise he will be punished.”
He described their relationship as “cold, for lack of a better word,” in a BBC interview last year. He, unfortunately, decided to attack the Democratic Republic of the Congo.”
Mr. Kagame has previously ignored similar talk, accusing Mr. Tshisekedi of being a “warmonger,” and instead focused on another rebel group in DR Congo’s east, the Hutu-led FDLR, which Rwanda regards as a threat.
What is more to come?
Rwandan government spokesperson Yolande Makolo responded to Hitler’s words on X, formerly Twitter, saying it was “a loud and clear threat by the DRC president, in a context where the FDLR is more armed than ever.”
Since the conclusion of the 1994 genocide, in which around 800,000 people were massacred by ethnic Hutu extremists targeting the Tutsi minority, Mr. Kagame has been Rwanda’s dominant political figure.
The politics of Rwanda are heating up, followed by such comments. The country is facing ethnic conflict, and such comments charge up the supporters of the respective leaders to fight again. The country is in the headlines following the resignation of the UK immigration minister in the UK parliament over the Rwandan Bill.
