Africa Daily, Africa Daily, DRC: Why are people talking about Kabila's return?

Africa Daily

Africa Daily

DRC: Why are people talking about Kabila's return?

April 30, 2025

19 minutes

Available for over a year

”It has been a week and a half since we heard that Joseph Kabila was leaving South Africa for DRC. Since then, however, we haven’t heard much more about whether he arrived in Goma” - Goma resident.

Last week the news that former President Joseph Kabila had returned to the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo grabbed the attention of the world’s media. But why has his presence in that part of the country been such a hot topic, even against the backdrop of a potential, imminent deal between the governments of the DRC and Rwanda?

Today on the podcast, Alan Kasujja speaks to the BBC’s Emery Makumeno in Kinshasa, Erik Kennes, a senior research fellow for the Africa Programme, while our reporter Ikaba Koyi gets opinions from residents in Goma.