Kinshasa, December 8th of 2020.

Incumbent President of the DRC, Félix Tshisedeki, has taken the opportunity that the media has been focusing on the Congolese Port Authority and has written a Presidential pardon on Katumbi's current status. Katumbi had his passport canceled in 2018 and before then, in 2016, Joseph Kabila, sentenced Katumbi to 36 months in jail due to real estate fraud.

This crisis was clearly the desperate move of Kabila in wanting to remove Moïse Katumbi from the political scenery, but as Kabila conceded the election and has given the first steps towards democratization, Katumbi must return to the DRC. Tshisedeki recognizes that and, while anxious about the reaction from the Kabila bloc, stills pushes forward with the Presidential pardon; he also personally contacted Katumbi and offered his apologies for his exile, guaranteeing his political safety.

Some political experts on the DRC have argued that this is a key move for Félix and for the politics of the DRC. This, in essence, means that the Kabila bloc has a new competitor, while showing to the world that, at least in some minor ways, the DRC is willing to democratize and to show good-will for democracy.

Why is Katumbi Important?

The importance of Katumbi comes from both his financial power in the DRC, as a self-made entrepreneur that proves a stable, democratic alternative to either Tshisedeki and Kabila. His pro-market policies and his dedication to compete in the Congolese political scene means that he has a real power of becoming President.

While some think that it wouldn’t make a lot of sense for Félix to pardon him, since he is, in so many words, a Kabila-appointed official to ensure a peaceful transition of power, others theorize that this move legitimizes Félix as a man independent from Kabila while also showing to the world that the Kabila Era is over; some would go even farther to say that the old political culture from Mobutu himself is over.

One of the political experts even point that this may be a strategy by Tshisedeki. Some in his government mention that he is interested in performing a new land rights bill in mid-December, and this would be a good opportunity to give himself more support - Katumbi could prove himself to be a useful asset for passing these economic measures that Félix wants to pass in such ardent desire.