According to the Congolese Constitution, there will be a presidential election in 2016 in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The Congolese diaspora cannot wait the day and the time, the incumbent president will leave the office. The year 2016 is in the mind of the Congolese diaspora, the beginning of a new era for the country as a whole. Some believe with Kabila stepping down, Congolese will come together and establish the rule of law.
President of the Congo since 2001, Joseph Kabila's reign coincide with the use of Internet at a large scale. He and his staff were not prepared to communicate through Internet. They came from a generation who believed in hardware, not in software. They missed the whole point of being leaders in the 21st century. Unable to develop a modern strategy, they mocked people who insulted the president. They were unable to use Internet as a tool to reach out, as a converter of dark thoughts. They badly failed to cat short damaging rumor. They surely have succeeded to keep Kabila alive. The Congolese Diaspora could not reach the president physically, but they did bring his presidential image down. They have counterfeited his Internet image. As a result, Congolese has a perception of Joseph Kabila that is surprising for someone who has been president for 14 years. He is a complete stranger to his fellow Congolese. Since nature abhors a vacuum, stories were invented, stories were perverted, and a new image was developed.
Joseph Kabila will step down soon or later. However, he will not go down in history as a Congolese who fought for other Congolese. This could be wrong. But what can you do against an image that is broadcast when there is no one else to convince you to the contrary. The Congolese diaspora has defeated the president team. They have corrupted the minds of the majority of the Congolese leaving abroad. They have put in the mind of thousands of people that Joseph Kabila is a traitor. They have convinced a large number of Congolese that he is an usurper. Those around the president do not obviously care in line with the saying "the dog bark but the caravan moves". The question is who is in the caravan? Where the caravan is moving about?
It was in 2001 I met Joseph Kabila when he visited Finland. Me and my fellow Congolese did what we could to meet the young president. There is no much to say about what he said then. I think he could not believe his eyes that Congolese was living in a country known for his supposedly cold winter. Some of my fellow did try to make this visit a beginning of something, but as far I know most of the initiatives did not go very far. Anyway, when Kabila came to Finland, I was doing my PhD at HANKEN, and did not give much thought to what he said or he was.
People who met Mobutu like to say that Mobutu was charming and warming. He will make himself a fanatic supporter of the Congo. The same thing cannot be said about Kabila. Now people cannot be compared in terms of either what they say or how they look. Nonetheless, it is a shame that the team around Joseph Kabila did not fabricate a better image for their champion.
President of the Congo since 2001, Joseph Kabila's reign coincide with the use of Internet at a large scale. He and his staff were not prepared to communicate through Internet. They came from a generation who believed in hardware, not in software. They missed the whole point of being leaders in the 21st century. Unable to develop a modern strategy, they mocked people who insulted the president. They were unable to use Internet as a tool to reach out, as a converter of dark thoughts. They badly failed to cat short damaging rumor. They surely have succeeded to keep Kabila alive. The Congolese Diaspora could not reach the president physically, but they did bring his presidential image down. They have counterfeited his Internet image. As a result, Congolese has a perception of Joseph Kabila that is surprising for someone who has been president for 14 years. He is a complete stranger to his fellow Congolese. Since nature abhors a vacuum, stories were invented, stories were perverted, and a new image was developed.
Joseph Kabila will step down soon or later. However, he will not go down in history as a Congolese who fought for other Congolese. This could be wrong. But what can you do against an image that is broadcast when there is no one else to convince you to the contrary. The Congolese diaspora has defeated the president team. They have corrupted the minds of the majority of the Congolese leaving abroad. They have put in the mind of thousands of people that Joseph Kabila is a traitor. They have convinced a large number of Congolese that he is an usurper. Those around the president do not obviously care in line with the saying "the dog bark but the caravan moves". The question is who is in the caravan? Where the caravan is moving about?
It was in 2001 I met Joseph Kabila when he visited Finland. Me and my fellow Congolese did what we could to meet the young president. There is no much to say about what he said then. I think he could not believe his eyes that Congolese was living in a country known for his supposedly cold winter. Some of my fellow did try to make this visit a beginning of something, but as far I know most of the initiatives did not go very far. Anyway, when Kabila came to Finland, I was doing my PhD at HANKEN, and did not give much thought to what he said or he was.
People who met Mobutu like to say that Mobutu was charming and warming. He will make himself a fanatic supporter of the Congo. The same thing cannot be said about Kabila. Now people cannot be compared in terms of either what they say or how they look. Nonetheless, it is a shame that the team around Joseph Kabila did not fabricate a better image for their champion.
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