Félix Tshisekedi: Champion of Change and Sovereignty in DR Congo

A Legacy Forged in Struggle

Félix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo is not just the President of the Democratic Republic of Congo; he is the embodiment of a generational struggle for dignity, democracy, and independence. From his father's exile under Mobutu to his own resistance against foreign meddling today, Tshisekedi’s journey is the story of Congo’s long-awaited awakening.

Born in 1963 in Kinshasa, just after Congo's independence from Belgium, Félix Tshisekedi inherited a name synonymous with resistance. His father, Étienne Tshisekedi, was a legendary opposition leader who stood fearlessly against dictatorship. Under Mobutu, the Tshisekedi family suffered house arrest and exile, but the dream of a free, just Congo never died.

After years of political apprenticeship, including leading the UDPS diaspora branch in Brussels, Félix returned home to build from within. In 2019, against all odds, he was sworn in as the DRC’s fifth president, the first peaceful transition of power in Congo’s post-colonial history.

Rising Amid Shadows: Governing with Resilience

Tshisekedi assumed office under a shadow: his predecessor Joseph Kabila’s party held sway over parliament, the military, and the intelligence services. Many expected Tshisekedi to be a puppet. But the son of Étienne Tshisekedi had different plans.

With careful diplomacy, Tshisekedi navigated power-sharing with Kabila’s loyalists while subtly consolidating his own base. His presidency has been marked by strategic appointments, assertive reforms, and bold assertions of sovereignty. Within two years, he outmaneuvered Kabila’s camp, eventually dissolving the power pact and asserting true presidential control, a rare feat in post-conflict African politics.

Restoring the Nation’s Soul

President Tshisekedi did not stop at internal reforms. He launched initiatives to heal a wounded nation. He pardoned over 700 political prisoners jailed under Kabila. He called home exiles who had long fled persecution. These symbolic acts rekindled faith in Congolese democracy.

Education, too, became a national mission. With the introduction of free primary schooling, more than five million children entered classrooms, an investment not just in human capital but in dignity. Mothers in Kinshasa now receive free maternity care in public hospitals, part of a larger promise of universal access to healthcare.

Under his leadership, the national budget nearly tripled, from $6 billion in 2019 to $16 billion by 2024. Even amid global pandemics and inflationary shocks, Congo’s economy is growing. For the first time in decades, Congolese people are starting to feel their government’s presence beyond the capital.

The Defender of Congo’s Riches

Tshisekedi’s fight for Congo’s future extends to its mineral wealth. Not only has he demanded a renegotiation of imbalanced mining deals with China, contracts that deprived Congolese people of their rightful share, but he has also championed a strategic new partnership with the United States.

In July 2025, he personally endorsed an agreement allowing KoBold Metals, a mining firm backed by Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos, to secure exploration rights at Manono, a world-class lithium deposit, and launch a large-scale mineral exploration program, including cobalt, copper, nickel, and lithium.

This deal, which will see the digitization of geological records and billions in U.S. investment, positions Congo as a leader in ethical, high-tech mining and counters Chinese dominance

This firm stance has elevated Congo on the global stage. The world now watches as Kinshasa asserts itself not as a pawn in foreign chess games, but as a proud partner demanding equitable, forward-looking terms from all sides.

Standing Tall Against Kagame’s Imperialism

Perhaps the most defining chapter of President Félix Tshisekedi’s leadership is his bold and unrelenting confrontation with Rwanda’s Paul Kagame, a regional strongman who operated for decades in the shadows of eastern Congo, exploiting instability to plunder minerals and control territory through rebel proxies.

For years, Kagame backed armed groups like M23, orchestrating chaos in North Kivu and Ituri while profiting from the looting of Congolese resources. While previous Congolese leaders often bowed to external pressure or turned a blind eye, Tshisekedi charted a different course, one rooted in sovereignty, accountability, and national dignity.

In 2019, Tshisekedi extended an olive branch to Kagame by inviting him to his father’s funeral, signaling a willingness to reset relations. But by 2023, that diplomatic veneer had collapsed. A wave of UN reports exposed the undeniable: Rwanda was actively supporting M23, deploying troops across the border under the guise of “defensive operations.” Tshisekedi acted decisively, expelling the ineffective East African force and turning instead to trusted allies within the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

Then came the watershed moment: the Washington Accord was signed on June 27, 2025. In front of international mediators and U.S. officials, Rwanda finally admitted its “defensive presence” in Congo, a diplomatic phrase that masked the reality of illegal troop deployments. That moment shattered Kagame’s carefully crafted narrative. His regime, once portrayed as a peacekeeper, now stood exposed as the aggressor.

Weeks later, the Doha Declaration of Principles between the DRC and M23 marked a pivotal breakthrough. For the first time, M23 rebels formally agreed to allow the Congolese state to reassert control over eastern territories. They vowed to stop indefinitely occupying towns, a quiet but clear admission that Kagame’s strategy was collapsing under diplomatic pressure.

In Bukavu, during his re-election campaign, Tshisekedi pulled no punches. He publicly compared Kagame to “ the Hitler of Africa. ” delivering a thunderous rebuke that echoed across the Great Lakes region. While critics saw the statement as extreme, many Congolese viewed it as long overdue, a necessary reckoning with a man responsible for decades of violence and plunder.

Tshisekedi’s message now resonates far beyond Congo’s borders: the era of foreign-backed aggression is over. The days when Paul Kagame acted with impunity in Congolese affairs are rapidly ending. Not through war, but through firm diplomacy, principled resistance, and an unshakable commitment to national sovereignty, President Tshisekedi has done what many thought impossible: he stood up to a dictator and won.

A Second Term with Clear Vision

Now re-elected for a second term, Félix Tshisekedi carries the weight of expectation and the momentum of hope. He has promised more jobs, stronger economic resilience, and an end to insecurity in the East.

He has made mistakes, yes. His critics remain vocal. But his resolve is unwavering.

In a region plagued by coups and chaos, Tshisekedi stands as a constitutionalist. In a world of autocrats, he pardons dissidents. And where others bowed to Kagame’s shadow empire, Tshisekedi drew a red line: “The withdrawal of Rwandan troops and M23 is non-negotiable. “

Conclusion: Fatshi the Nation-Builder

Félix Tshisekedi is no longer just the son of Étienne. He is the man charting a new course for Congo, a nation long defined by suffering, now daring to dream again.

He does not claim to have built the “Germany of Africa” yet. But by reclaiming Congo’s minerals, its sovereignty, and its voice, he is laying the foundation for a future built not on dependency, but dignity.

And for that, history will remember him not only as a president, but as a turning point.