On the agenda for the official visit Of Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi to France, on April 29 and 30, there are two essential points: the end of the war in the East and economic development. On the first point, the ambassador of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in Paris, Emile Ngoy Kasongo, does not hide, speaking to RFI, that he hopes that the French president will request sanctions against Rwanda. On the second point, the Congolese diplomat expects a lot from the Franco-Congolese economic forum organized this April 30 in Bercy, in Paris, with French employers (Medef).
RFI: What do you expect from this official visit by the Congolese head of state to Paris?
Émile Ngoy Kasongo: First of all, a relaunch of both cooperation and also questions of major diplomacy between the French government and that of the Democratic Republic of Congo in a context marked, as you know, by the difficult situation, the war situation, instability, insecurity, in the east of the DRC.
A year ago, we remember, President Macron, it was in Kinshasa, had some pretty harsh words against your country. “ Since 1994he said, you have not been able to restore the sovereignty of your country, neither military, nor security, nor administrative, it is a reality and we must not look for culprits outside… »
Yes, and his remarks had angered Congolese public opinion. But it must be said that we must know how to pass the towel to the extent that there was immediately such a strong reaction from our president, His Excellency Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi who responded, and we think that it is all that too which makes a beautiful story, a beautiful story between France and the DRC.
Indeed, Félix Tshisekedi responded during this visit by the French president to Kinshasa: “ Look at us differently, respecting us and not always with a paternalistic look and not always with the idea of knowing what is needed for us »…
Yes of course. The DRC claims its maturity in all areas: political, diplomatic and its existential support.
So all of that was obviously about the military situation in the east of your country. What do you criticize Western countries today, and particularly France?
The guilty silence of the international community, because the major cause is not a war of religions and a war of ideologies, a war of values, but it is a war of plunder of natural resources.
So you’re talking about looting and a few days ago, you put Apple on notice because you accuse it of using minerals from Congolese mines illegally exploited by Rwanda…
Yes, that’s what we call blood ores. Minerals of blood, minerals of fraud. And for that, I think that we also have in our sights here also the agreement that you know, the memorandum of understanding between the European Union and Rwanda and for which we are demanding until today that there can be traceability and transparency. A value chain must not start from the middle, it must start from the origin, that is to say from production. We cannot start a value chain primarily at the point of supply, but we must also look at the point of production.
The Apple company responds that to its knowledge, there are no illegally mined minerals. She refers to the iTSCi certification according to which there would be no smuggling for the benefit of Rwanda…
All that remains to be verified. But for our part, we consider that Rwanda, until proven otherwise, does not have mining maps truly proving that these minerals were exploited in Rwanda.
This formal notice to the French courts, a few days before the arrival of President Tshisekedi in France, is it not a coincidence?
Of course, since you will already remember, there were thousands of young Congolese here in France, in Belgium, in London and even in the United States who went to sit in front of the brands of this multinational to denounce the practice. in this matter which precisely promotes the illegal exploitation of this type of strategic minerals.
What does President Tshisekedi expect from President Macron? Are you calling for international sanctions against Rwanda?
It is obvious that the League of Nations today is organized on the basis of international law. When international law is violated, what do we do? With Russia, comparison is not right, but we sometimes look between intellectuals. I was at the Sorbonne in a conference, international relations students noted that the situation in the DRC was practically parallel to the situation between Russia and Ukraine. It’s a violation, an assault…
And you have just authorized Ukraine to set up an embassy in Kinshasa…
We are an independent, democratic and sovereign country. We have diverse relationships around the world and this is the characteristic of all countries. And therefore, we are entitled to ask for sanctions, because when there has been a violation of international law, there is nothing else. When Russia entered Ukraine, we first heard here and there the condemnation, the demand for withdrawal, we did not stop there, and we eventually demanded sanctions. Sanctions, why? Because the territorial integrity, sovereignty, independence of each State in the world is governed by rules of international law.
So you would like the French president to say the word sanctions against Rwanda?
I think it would do justice, it would also make a mark in history.
Last week, French Presidents Emmanuel Macron and Rwandan Presidents Paul Kagame spoke on the phone and according to the Élysée, Emmanuel Macron took the opportunity to insist on the need to respect the territorial integrity of your country. What does this inspire you?
We think that it is necessary… We are humans, we are men, and today there is France who talks to each other with Germany: everything is forgotten because they knew how to talk to each other, they are managed to talk to each other, but to talk to each other, we must do so within the rules of law, of justice. Ultimately, at the end of the day, we have to have reparations as well.
Emmanuel Macron also recently spoke with Angolan President Joao Lourenço. Can we imagine the French president mediating between your two countries, Congo and Rwanda?
France has the assets and France should use these assets.
The big day will be with the working lunch between Messrs. Macron and Tshisekedi and then the economic forum in Bercy. This forum with French employers in particular with Medef, what do you expect from it?
We are waiting a lot. We believe that the DRC today, with its potential, is in the process of diversifying its economy. I am only taking the agri-food sector where France is the world champion.
Why agri-food? Because you are very far from food self-sufficiency?
Very far from food self-sufficiency. Our food self-sufficiency today is covered by 60% in imports. So, as you said, we have arable land, more than four million hectares of arable land.
So you have potential…
We have major potential, but we must now put it fallow, and for that, we also need the experience of those who have mastered these sectors. You know, for the Head of State today, the DRC has functioned for a very long time by relying on minerals and the soil must now take revenge on the subsoil. This is the leitmotif of the President of the Republic Félix Antoine Tshisekedi.
