Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy traveled to Kinshasa to meet with Felix Tshisekedi. On the menu of the discussions, the relations of the latter with Paul Kagame?
Since leaving the Élysée, Nicolas Sarkozy has continued to travel as when he was president. But now, he combines his two passions: business and diplomacy. Representative of several companies, notably Qatari, Nicolas Sarkozy takes advantage of his address book in which we find two close friends: Alassane Ouattara and Paul Kagame. The former French president also has entries in Gabon and Togo. But it is another trip that is making a lot of noise at the moment: Nicolas Sarkozy indeed went to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on March 22. For what reasons ?
If he generally takes advantage of his travels to represent the interests of companies - Accor, Lagardère, Bolloré, Natixis, Chargeurs, Barrière or even Axian - it would seem that the former head of state has traveled this time to discuss the case of Paul Kagame. The Rwandan president is at odds with his Congolese counterpart, and the situation is getting worse week after week. During Emmanuel Macron's visit to Kinshasa, Félix Tshisekedi tried to rally the French president to his cause. A French president who would also be quite close to a certain … Nicolas Sarkozy. Would the latter be on a mission for Emmanuel Macron?
The Congolese presidency denies
According to Africa Intelligence, it would be Félix Tshisekedi, who would be at the initiative of this meeting. The Congolese president intends to "take advantage of Nicolas Sarkozy's proximity to Paul Kagame's regime to try to initiate mediation on the M23 crisis". Two untruths, according to Tina Salama, spokesperson for Félix Tshisekedi, who indicates that “there is no mediation project in the Rwandan aggression which would be entrusted to Mr. Sarkozy”.
Two false allegations deserving of corrections:
1. The visit to our country of the former French President is in no way at the initiative of the President of the #RDC
2. There is no mediation project in the Rwandan aggression that would be entrusted to Mr Sarkozy @Africa_In_FR https://t.co/Y8Sv3khRZj—Tina Salama (@TinaSalama2) March 22, 2023
But, continues the spokesperson, concerning Sarkozy, President Tshisekedi was “delighted to receive him during his private visit to Kinshasa”. The two men had dinner together and then met again the next day for a meeting. But it is a simple "private visit" insisted on specifying the Congolese presidency.
Despite the denial of the spokesperson, Félix Tshisekedi would however be at the origin of the arrival of Nicolas Sarkozy. Jeune Afrique ensures that several intermediaries, including the former French Minister of Justice Rachida Dati, worked to set up this trip. On the Congolese side, we assure off that it is indeed the former French president who requested an audience with Tshisekedi.