Kenya has “strongly disassociated” itself from a Congolese opposition figure who forged an alliance with rebels in Nairobi, spurring a diplomatic row with Kinshasa.
The Kenyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sunday said it would investigate the political-military alliance after the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) recalled its ambassador in protest.
The so-called Congo River Alliance, launched on Friday, includes DRC politicians and groups such as the M23 rebels, who have seized territory in eastern DRC, and Corneille Nangaa, a former DRC election commission chief.
In response to the development, DRC on Saturday recalled its ambassadors to Kenya and Tanzania for consultations. The envoy to Tanzania was recalled because Tanzania hosts the headquarters of the East African Community bloc, to which DRC also belongs.
In a statement, Kenya’s foreign minister, Musalia Mudavadi, said Kenya was aware some DRC nationals had addressed the press in Kenya and made statements that were “inimical to the constitutional order of the Democratic Republic of the Congo”.
“Kenya strongly disassociates itself from any utterances or activities likely to injure the peace and security of the friendly nation of DRC and has commenced an investigation,” he said.
The probe, the minister said, would try “to determine the identities of the makers of the statement and the extent to which their utterances fall outside constitutionally protected speech”.
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