E. Tshisekedi: The Modern Congolese version of Hannibal of Carthage.

If Hannibal, the army general from Carthage, North Africa, had pursued the mighty army of the Roman empire to a military victory, he would have ruled Rome and the world. His name would be noted in halls of fame not for having resisted empire, but for having ruled Rome and the world. Unfortunately, he made some strategic mistakes. He was defeated. Military historians advance a variety of opinions and reasons to explain  the defeat of a general recognized for his tactical and strategic prowess.

E. Tshisekedi is an old guard political leader in the Congo, one of Mobutu’s protégés. Mobutu once referred to him as the  ‘creature’. As any creature will do, Tshisekedi eventually turned against his creator. And he has been defying power in the Democratic Republic of the Congo ever since.  He defied the autocratic regime of Mobutu by calling for mass rallies or for popular strikes. Under one state party any strike and popular rallies were prohibited unless the rally is called to show a support to the then Mobutu’s regime.

We, the Congolese,  expected more of him: defy the regime, take power and restore the Congolese dream.  By the way it is not easy for the Congolese to articulate a congolese dream today.

 In 2002 he refused to be a presidential candidate eventhough most of his followers expected him to run. According to his followers this was  Tshisekedi disapprovement to the Sun City Peace Agreement.  5 years later, advised by his followers, he is now preparing to run on the  November 2011 elections. In American political parlance he will be recognised as a ‘flip-flop’ or ‘opportunist’ leader.

Like Hannibal, he not only will defy Mobutu, but the then senior Kabila  and now junior Kabila. He has a power of a charismatic leader but a power to mobilize thousands of his followers to either desobey a law or go on strike known as ghost town and nothing more.

And again like Hannibal,  he can mobilize thousands of people but only in Kinshasa. When it comes to attitude toward power Kinshasa inhabitants are passive-agressive. Obeying to strike or rallying behind Tshisekedi is not that they like Tshisekedi but instead they see in him a symbol of defiance to the power that dehuminize them.

 Like Hannibal, he doesn’t possess knowledge, skill and capacity sufficient to be game changer.

 While his political party professes to champion democracy, nothing of the kind in fact exists. He has been president of this party since its inception, inflicting flaws and missteps ever since.

 When asked why he no longer participated in the political forums with Tshisekedi, one of his closest political allies—who left him already in the ‘90s—said; ” Tshisekedi is afraid of power”.