BERLIN, GERMANY - NOVEMBER 15: Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) President Felix Tshisekedi addresses the media during a press conference with the German Chancellor at the Chancellery on November 15, 2019 in Berlin, Germany. Tshisekedi, who took office in January of this year, is visiting France and Germany this week. (Photo by Michele Tantussi/Getty Images)
During an official visit to Luanda, Angola, where he received a warm welcome from his counterpart President João Lourenço, Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi, President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, delivered a speech at the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations forum that left a lasting impression.
a stark warning on regional insecurity
The Congolese leader used the platform to condemn the international community’s inertia in the face of the escalating security crisis in eastern DRC, where armed groups continue to destabilize the region. He rejected diplomatic niceties in favor of blunt truths, framing the conflict not as a distant regional issue but as a systemic failure of global governance.
« The tragedy unfolding in our country cannot be reduced to a footnote in history, » Tshisekedi declared. « It is a stark reminder that international law, when ignored, becomes nothing more than empty rhetoric. We cannot tolerate a world where aggression goes unchecked and sovereignty is routinely violated. »
h2>challenging the global orderExpanding on his critique, the President warned that the erosion of security in the Great Lakes region poses a direct threat to international stability. He argued that the DRC’s struggle is not just a Congolese issue but a litmus test for the credibility of multilateral institutions.
« When borders are redrawn by force and neighboring states enable conflict without consequences, no nation is truly safe, » he asserted. « The principle that might makes right cannot be allowed to prevail. »
behind-the-scenes diplomacy with Angola
On the sidelines of the summit, Tshisekedi held a private meeting with Angolan President João Lourenço, who serves as the African Union’s mediator for the DRC crisis. The two leaders reviewed recent developments on the ground and discussed next steps in the Luanda peace process, which aims to broker dialogue between conflicting factions.
With the DRC currently holding the rotating presidency of the UN Security Council, Tshisekedi’s remarks in Luanda signal the start of a determined diplomatic push to pressure the international community into action.
