An armed movement identifying itself as the Mouvement Debout Katanga pour la Libération du Congo (MDKC) has announced that its fighters have taken control of the town of Lusinga in the Katanga region of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
In a communiqué released Tuesday, the MDKC stated that its elements seized control of Lusinga on March 3, claiming the action was a response to what it described as an increasingly intolerable political situation affecting Katanga and the country as a whole.
The group accused the government of President Félix Tshisekedi—referred to in the statement by his full name Félix Tshilombo—of shutting down avenues for meaningful dialogue among Congolese political actors. According to the communiqué, the administration is allegedly preparing to amend the constitution in order to extend its hold on power.
The MDKC further alleged that several political and religious leaders, as well as military officials, have become targets of government actions including arrests, intimidation, and forced exile. Individuals cited in the statement include political figures such as Moïse Katumbi and former Congolese president Joseph Kabila, along with other politicians, clergy, and officers within the Congolese armed forces.
According to the movement, these actions have contributed to growing frustration in Katanga, a mineral-rich region that has historically been a focal point of political tension within the country.
The statement claims that the MDKC’s objective is to defend the interests of the Katangese population and to oppose what it describes as the exploitation of the region’s resources.
There was no immediate response from authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo regarding the group’s claims, and the situation in Lusinga could not be independently verified at the time of reporting.
Katanga, known for its vast reserves of copper and cobalt, has long played a strategic role in Congo’s political and economic landscape, and developments in the region are closely watched both nationally and internationally.