IKINSHASA, Democratic Republic of Congo —
Under the hot October sun in the Limete district of Kinshasa, the crowd fell silent as Deo Bizibu took the microphone. Then, with a deliberate calm that belied months of political tension, he declared:
“The Secretary-General is indeed the honorable Augustin Kabuya!”
With those words, Bizibu — once Kabuya’s fiercest rival — surrendered his claim to leadership of the ruling Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS). The party, fractured since August 2024 by a bruising internal war, suddenly found itself at peace.
For now.
A Party Divided
The conflict had been ugly and public. Accused of “dictatorial management,” Augustin Kabuya had been dismissed last year by a faction calling itself the “Democratic Convention.” He ignored the decision and continued to occupy the party’s headquarters. Bizibu and his allies, meanwhile, built a parallel structure and held rival rallies — a spectacle that embarrassed the president’s movement and weakened its cohesion ahead of crucial national contests.
“The UDPS cannot have two heads,” Bizibu said on Saturday, dressed in the party’s signature white. “The only leader is Fatshi Beton — Félix Tshisekedi himself.”
Kabuya, who stood beside him, offered contrition of his own. “We have turned a new page to honor the President’s guidance,” he said. “We will no longer justify ourselves; we move forward.”
The President Steps In
It took the personal intervention of President Tshisekedi to bring the two men to the same stage.
On the night of September 19, the president quietly summoned delegations from both factions to the State House. He met privately with each man, proposing a truce: Bizibu would resume his previous post as deputy secretary-general; Kabuya would remain secretary-general until a special party congress scheduled for December 10–14.
“There is no winner, no loser,” said Adolphe Amisi Makutano, a young MP and ally of Kabuya. “The victory is unity itself.”
Officially, the Congolese Constitution bars the president from managing party affairs. But insiders say Tshisekedi’s hand was decisive.
“He had waited, hoping one side would weaken,” admitted Marcellin Bilomba, a Bizibu loyalist. “But we didn’t. Some of us lost our jobs, yet we stood firm. Eventually, he had to step in.”
Why It Matters
The timing was critical. The UDPS, the once-opposition movement founded by Félix Tshisekedi’s late father, feared that internal chaos could erode its power within the ruling Sacred Union coalition. Rival parties were already positioning themselves for the 2028 elections.
“Division was a gift to our opponents,” said one senior party member who requested anonymity. “A political party’s mission is to win power — and keep it.”
The reconciliation was also the culmination of weeks of mediation by senior figures including Daniel Aselo, Peter Kazadi, Jean-Claude Tshilumbayi, and Eteni Longondo — the latter known for a scathing open letter against Kabuya last year. Behind the scenes, the president’s mother, Marthe Kasalu, played a quiet but influential role in urging forgiveness.
Together, they form what is now called the “accompaniment committee” — a body tasked with guiding reforms and preparing the December congress.
Rewriting the Party’s Future
Beyond reconciliation, the UDPS faces a structural reckoning. Its statutes, drafted during its years in opposition, no longer reflect its status as the ruling party. Leaders are now considering creating a vice-presidency to share administrative burdens and reduce internal friction.
Each camp will appoint delegates to the commissions organizing the December congress — a symbolic move meant to rebuild trust and ensure balanced representation.
“Every family has problems,” Makutano said. “But our strength lies in our ability to look at what unites us, not what divides us.”
Even Bilomba, once labeled a dissident, struck a conciliatory tone. “I’m not a rebel,” he insisted. “I want the UDPS to regain its rightful place.”
The Test Ahead
Whether this peace holds beyond December remains uncertain. The UDPS has survived many ruptures since its founding in the 1980s — from the dictatorship of Mobutu Sese Seko to decades in opposition exile — and has always managed to reinvent itself.
“During Saturday’s meeting, you could feel something rare — a will to reconcile,” said a senior official close to the negotiations. “We asked forgiveness for the harsh words exchanged. That’s how we move forward.”
But in Congolese politics, unity has often proven fragile. As one observer put it with a smile: “In the UDPS, peace is always provisional.”
O Bulamba / ADR
