This membership is not unanimous within the Congolese political class where Congolese politicians, each commenting on they own way and according to the interests of their class of belonging.
If some politicians can welcome this membership, the others on the other hand disapproved by saying that it does not benefit the Congolese and especially those of the East who are victims every moment of wars and looting.
This is because the eastern part of the DRC has been living for several decades in turmoil due to wars, sexual and gender-based violence.
This is the case, for example, of the “Nouvel Elan” party of former Prime Minister Adolphe Muzito, who thinks that this approach will help nothing the Congolese victims of atrocities on the part of certain neighbouring countries.
For the spokesman of this opposition party and member of LAMUKA, Albert Mukulubundu, this Wednesday, April 13, 2022, the accession of the DRC to the EAC is not to be welcomed because, he indicates, this loot is to kill the Congolese in the eastern part of the country.
Join a sub-regional organization composed mainly of States that attack, loot and kill our compatriots in the East. This approach borders on betrayal in the face of the resistance of our people,” said Albert Mukulubundu.
The head of external affairs and spokesperson for Nouvel Elan, Albert Mukulubundu, fears that this initiative could trigger the process of balkanization of the country and sacrifice the future of Congolese youth after several years of resistance.
Reacting to the words of Albert Mukulubundu, the ruling party (UDPS) thinks that this membership would be a benefit for the DRC because, he thinks, this will allow free trade between the DRC and the member countries of the EAC.
Ntumba Tshiabola Bintu, deputy of the UDPS, however, believes that the accession of the DRC to the EAC has many advantages by allowing it to maintain harmonious relations with its neighbours.
This will facilitate trade, the free movement of people, the construction of infrastructure to allow regional integration. This does not exclude the DRC from developing its own internal infrastructure,” believes Ntumba Tshiabola Bintu.
In South Kivu, a province of the DRC neighbouring the two neighbouring countries, comments on this membership continue to be heard.
Some people encourage the Head of State for the decision taken and others, on the other hand, condemn it.
Rémy Kashindi, civil society actor, said that the membership of the former Zaire in the EAC is beneficial so that the Congolese will benefit from several advantages, especially in relation to the collaboration with the 7 Member States, the free movement, for responsible customs clearance, for the maximization of revenue at the various Congolese customs.
It will be necessary to understand that we are faced with populations who work unlike us, hence our responsibility will be awakened to stimulate us to work like them. For the moment we do not have enough goods or material to exploit but we will also be beneficiaries of the investments that will be made at home in job creation. Economically, socially, even politically, given that there will be a framework in which our parliamentarians will sit to discuss politics and economics in our 7 countries. So we have every interest in supporting this initiative”, explains Rémy Kashindi.
Jean-Marie Lwanamirindi, also a member of civil society, for his part, he sees no advantage on this membership because he indicates, the country of Lumumba is a member of several international platforms, something which does not benefit him absolutely nothing.
According to the latter, some member countries of the EAC will benefit from the natural resources of the DRC.
It must be said that the Head of State, Felix Tshisekedi signed the treaty of accession of the DRC to the East African Community (EAC) on April 8 in Kenya in the presence of the Ugandan President, Yoweri Museveni.
The DRC becomes the seventh (7th) country to join the EAC by finding Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya.
Jeremiah Baraka
