1) “Missing” Katanga Governor jets back from vacation (video)
Wednesday July 27. “Missing” Governor Moïse Katumbi and his family jetted back from his holidays spent at a still undisclosed location. The millionaire governor had chartered what looked to me like a Falcon jet (readers who are knowledgeable about airplanes could correct me); and I couldn’t read the aircraft registration either, which would have given an idea of the location of the governor’s holidays). Upon deplaning he was interviewed by the local press on a number of issues:
a) His alleged exile: “To go into exile, and to whom would I leave the Province?,” Katumbi fired back. “I was on vacation with my family… And I had asked the permission of the head of state. And now, I just came back.”
b) On the air crash in Kisangani (July 8), a flight his team TP Mazembe would have boarded had it not been for a last-minute cancelation by the Governor: “When you pray God, you have to pray Him seriously. The greatest sin in our world, you know, is ungratefulness. One ought to acknowledge the kindness of the Lord. And we are Christians… My condolences to all the families who’ve lost their brothers, their sisters, their fathers and, above all, to the family of Dr. Ilunga; and to the head of state. Dr. Ilunga was truly a friend. And not long ago we were with you, and with him; may his soul rest in peace.”
c) On the conflict between TP Mazembe and CAF: “… I’m not a lawyer, and I’m not about to replace the lawyers; I can’t respond to that question. We gave everything to the lawyers, and we are awaiting the response of FIFA.”
d) On the upcoming arrival (Friday, July 29) of Tshisekedi: “Firstly, Tshisekedi is the president of a political party, I think it’s the UDPS. I’d ask all Congolese—above all, all Katangans—to be calm. He’s coming home, in the Congo, Katanga is a province of the Congo; we’d truly want him to come, he should feel safe… I saw a lot of stuff on the internet… All Katangans are Congolese… I think he’s coming tomorrow or the day after tomorrow… He’s coming on Friday… I’d ask UDPS party members to come and welcome their president. And I’d ask everybody to calm down. I wouldn’t want to see mayhem in the Katanga. Currently, there’s democracy in our country—and above all in our province. And we are a pilot-province, we’d like that this pilot-province be able to show that in Katanga there’s democracy, and that President Tshisekedi be able to feel at home in the Congo.”
e) Asked if he’d hold a rally in the coming days, Katumbi said: “I don’t need rallies. On the contrary, I came back for the ‘chantiers’ (construction works, Kabila’s campaign projects) of the Republic.”
f) On his political enemies from within the MP and on whether he’d just quit Kabila’s party and launch his own political party: “I’m a member of PPRD. And I haven’t created any political party. And I’ll campaign for the head of state. A lot of people have said in 2007 that I’d be a presidential candidate. I think we know almost all the candidates today. And I’ve always been loyal when I say something. And I will campaign for the head of state… And, you know, what I said at the beginning, ‘Ungratefulness doesn’t pay.’ There are people who’ve gone places with my votes… and each one of us will swim in his own way…”
2) Kisangani: Deadly confrontation between cargo cult “Nzambe-Lumumba” and FARDC
Efanga Olumbu aka Moïse-le-Libérateur (Moses-the-Liberator)
High-priest of cargo-cult Nzambe-Lumumba (God-Lumumba)
Photo: Radio Okapi
Thursday July 28. Radio-Okapi reports that General Jean-Claude Kifwa, Commander of the 9th Military Region headquartered in the provincial capital of Orientale Province, announced in Kisangani that he’s sending reinforcement to Opala, 127 km south of Kisangani, where, on Wednesday July 27, a deadly clash pitted the FARDC against a cargo cult called “Nzambe-Lumumba” (God-Lumumba), led by Efanga Olumbu aka Moïse-le-Libérateur (Moses-the-Liberator). Three cult members died in the incident. General Kifwa also issued a call for calm to the local population.
General Jean-Claude Kifwa
Commander of the 9th Military Region of FARDC
Photo: Radio Okapi
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