During an official visit to Luanda, Angola, where he was warmly received by his counterpart President João Lourenço, Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi, President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, delivered a speech of unparalleled political intensity that left a lasting impression.
The Congolese leader took center stage at the third edition of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) forum, where he forcefully condemned the international community’s inertia in the face of the escalating security crisis plaguing eastern DRC. His remarks struck a raw nerve, targeting a world order that appears to have lost its moral compass.
For President Tshisekedi, the tragedy unfolding in the Congo is no longer a mere regional afterthought—it serves as a stark indictment of the collective failure of international law to protect sovereign nations from aggression.
« We cannot tolerate the silence of complacency »
Addressing a global audience of world leaders, diplomats, and civil society representatives, the Congolese head of state abandoned diplomatic niceties to deliver a scathing indictment of the human catastrophe unfolding in his country:
« We must reject the normalization of war. Indignation without action is meaningless. We cannot accept the silence of complacency, nor can we reduce victims to mere statistics only to forget them. International law must not become an empty ceremonial language devoid of real consequence. »
This unfiltered appeal directly challenges the lack of concrete action by major powers in response to Rwanda’s alleged backing of the M23 rebellion. By emphasizing that peace cannot be reduced to hollow rhetoric or a temporary lull in violence, President Tshisekedi demands that justice, truth, and respect for national sovereignty finally guide multilateral resolutions.
The eastern conflict: a litmus test for global order
Expanding his critique, President Tshisekedi warned that turning a blind eye to the security chaos in the Great Lakes region poses a systemic threat to the entire planet:
« The struggle in the DRC transcends its borders—it is not merely about the security of one Central African nation. It questions the very foundations of the international order we claim to defend. Wherever brute force eclipses the power of law, no nation remains safe in the long term. »
From Kinshasa’s perspective, the conflict in eastern DRC represents the ultimate credibility test for multilateralism. If a sovereign state’s borders can be violated with impunity—even with the support of neighboring countries—and go unpunished, then the global security of every nation is left dangerously exposed.
Strategic talks with João Lourenço behind closed doors
On the sidelines of the forum, President Tshisekedi held a private meeting with João Lourenço, the African Union’s designated mediator for the DRC’s security crisis. The two leaders assessed the ground realities and outlined the next steps for the Luanda peace process.
With the DRC currently holding the rotating presidency of the UN Security Council since July 1, 2026, this bold declaration in Luanda signals the launch of a major diplomatic campaign to compel the international community to move from words to decisive action.
