Amidst a growing controversy surrounding the nationality of opposition presidential candidate Moïse Katumbi in the Democratic Republic of Congo, former Minister of Justice Alexis Thambwe Mwamba has emphatically refuted claims challenging Katumbi’s Congolese identity.
These assertions have emerged as part of an effort by Katumbi’s political opponents to invalidate his candidacy in the upcoming December 20th elections, calling into question the authenticity of his Congolese nationality documents.
Katumbi’s rivals have petitioned the Constitutional Court to disqualify him from the presidential race, contending that he does not meet the requirements for possessing a Congolese national identity document.
In response, Thambwe Mwamba, who held the position of Minister of Justice at the time, has stepped forward to assert that he personally issued Katumbi with the Congolese national identity document after thorough verification, confirming that Katumbi held no other nationalities.
In an interview with the French media outlet RFI, Thambwe Mwamba dismissed the debate over Katumbi’s Congolese nationality as unfounded, stating, “There was no proof whatsoever that Moïse Katumbi was Italian.”
Notably, Katumbi’s eligibility has been challenged by lesser-known individuals, Tshivuadi Mansanga Junior and fellow presidential candidate Seth Kikuni, who allege that Katumbi holds Italian nationality.
Meanwhile, Katumbi’s lawyer, Éric Dupond-Moretti, took proactive steps by writing to Italian authorities in the San Vito Dei Norman Municipality, who confirmed that the former Katanga Governor had never held Italian citizenship.
As the controversy surrounding Moïse Katumbi’s nationality continues to unfold, his supporters and opponents await the decision of the Constitutional Court, which will ultimately determine his eligibility to run in the forthcoming presidential elections.
