Controversy continues in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) over the cost of the 2023 Francophonie Games in Kinshasa (July 28 to August 6). A citizens’ movement, Lutte pour le changement (Lucha), held a press conference at the start of the week in the Congolese capital to denounce embezzlement and call for a “general mobilization to obtain the whole truth“. One of its militants, Jacques Issongo, explained to RFI: “At Lucha, we believe that it is inadmissible that the mode of embezzlement management can be erected in our country. We communicated to raise awareness among the population and public opinion, so that people would understand what kind of politicians we have in our country, and that on the eve of the elections, we should draw all the consequences. Thorough investigations can effectively demonstrate that there has been embezzlement and theft. We are asking and demanding that the courts carry out investigations and bring all those directly or indirectly involved in the Francophonie affair before the courts“. As a reminder, at the end of October, the Congolese Minister of Finance, Nicolas Kazadi, stated that the cost of the Games of La Francophonie had reached almost seven times the initial budget. Initially set at $48 million, the final figure was $324 million.
