Ngoma to return to Kinshasa

Professor Arthur Zahidi Ngoma, a former rebel leader in the DRC, has announced he will be returning to the capital Kinshasa in two weeks’ time to “prepare the ground for the organisation of an inter-Congolese debate”. Ngoma, who is currently in France, told European radio stations he felt it was the right time to go home. “I am returning there to mobilise the opposition, to start our job,” he told the BBC Swahili service. Ngoma, who was the first president of the RCD, denied he had struck some sort of agreement with the Kinshasa government.

His former colleague in the RCD, Professor Ernest Wamba dia Wamba, now leader of the RCD-ML, told IRIN the timing of Ngoma’s return to Kinshasa was “politically puzzling”. “Kabila tortured Ngoma and locked him up for a long time. He was only released after pressure from the international community,” Wamba said. “It is a bit puzzling that he decides to go back now.” According to Wamba, Kabila was planning to reshuffle his government “and create a basically anti-Lusaka government called a government of national unity.” “Maybe his [Ngoma] return should be seen in that context,” he said.