Jean Pierre Bemba DRCs former transition vice President flew from his stronghold base in Gemena, in the province of Sud-Ubangi and met President Felix Tshisekedi in the capital Kinshasha for a possible political deal.
On Monday, President Tshisekedi officially launched what he termed as consultations that are aimed at uniting the nation. He is also looking for a new majority to shed the influence of his predecessor, Joseph Kabila.
The meeting between Bemba and President Tshisekedi lasted nearly two hours according to the Congolese Presidency.
'It went well, I am in favor of any dialogue between the Congolese,' Bemba said immediately after the meeting. He did not disclose much and said that he had to take his plane back to Gemena.
Senator Jean-Pierre Bemba is at the head of a parliamentary group of 28 deputies, while the presidential coalition, Cach, has so far 48 elected.
Meanwhile the well planned itinerary indicates that President Tshisekedi is scheduled to meet on Friday Moïse Katumbi another opposition politician. Katumbi is a former governor in the Kabila regime and heads the Ensemble pour la République platform, which has 68 deputies.
Before the 2018 elections the three men had parted on difficult terms.
Jean Pierre Bemba
In Geneva in November, Félix Tshisekedi slammed the door of the opposition Lamuka coalition to create Cach with Vital Kamerhe. Jean-Pierre Bemba and Moïse Katumbi contested President Tshisekedi's victory in the elections and supported Martin Fayulu as the elected president. But since then, the two men have returned to the country and tensions have arisen between the leaders of Lamuka, between Jean-Pierre Bemba and Moise Katumbi.
As for Lamuka's presidency, led by Martin Fayulu, It is not yet confirmed on whether or not he will participate in the national consultations.
Meanwhile, the spiritual leader of the Kimbanguist church, Simon Kimbangu Kiangani, has already visited Palais de la Nation to meet the head of state.
Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo is the leader of the Mouvement de Libération du Congo (MLC). He was one of four vice-presidents in the transitional government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 17 July 2003 to December 2006. In 2016, the ICC found Jean-Pierre Bemba guilty of war crimes and handed him an 18-year prison sentence.
Arrests
On the sidelines of these consultations, two journalists were arrested and are still being held at the National Intelligence Agency, a security service that reports to the presidency. Roublin Bamba and Ordynolas Mobala, from Bosolo Na Politique, filmed the arrival of the president on Monday with Cardinal Monsengwo. They are accused of having broadcast an excerpt that created controversy, because several of the president's advisers did not stand up and continued to discuss when he arrived.
Source : https://taarifa.rw/president-tshisekedi-consults-with-jean-pierre-bemba/
