The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has opened a judicial investigation into Fils Mukoko, a senior official of the ruling Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS), after a viral video in which he appeared to threaten to arm young people and warned Western nationals in Kinshasa that they could struggle to leave the capital.
On October 21, DRC Justice Minister Guillaume Ngefa ordered the probe, and instructed the prosecutor general at the Court of Cassation to examine the allegations “with diligence,” saying the seriousness of the remarks required a rigorous review by the competent judicial authorities, according to Actualite.cd.
The investigation concerns a widely circulated video attributed to Mukoko, the acting director general of the Kinshasa Sanitation Network (RASKIN) and a UDPS member, who reportedly said that weapons could be distributed in football stadiums, churches and universities.
He also accused Belgium and Western countries of seeking war and said Westerners in Kinshasa would “have difficulty leaving” the city.
Government spokesperson and Communication Minister Patrick Muyaya condemned the statements as an “absolute horror,” adding that they represented neither the government nor any state institution. He also said measures had been taken to protect diplomatic missions.
Kinshasa Governor Daniel Bumba Lubaki separately removed Mukoko from his position as deputy director general of RASKIN on the same day. The dismissal followed the online remarks about weapons distribution and threats against Western nationals.
The country’s media regulator, the Superior Council of Audiovisual and Communication (CSAC), also imposed an 88-day media and social-media ban on Mukoko. It said his comments violated Congolese law and ran counter to the country’s fundamental values, and summoned him for an urgent hearing.
Earlier, Belgian police reportedly searched properties linked to members of President Félix Tshisekedi’s inner circle in Belgium in mid-October as part of a money-laundering investigation.
Nine relatives of the Congolese president, including his wife, brothers, a cousin and two children, were cited in connection with the Belgian proceedings.
