Washington DC -Former United States Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Ambassador Tibor Nagy, has publicly expressed regret over his past support for Félix Tshisekedi during the Democratic Republic of Congo’s 2018 presidential election, saying he believed Tshisekedi would bring meaningful change to the country.
In a statement shared publicly, Nagy reflected on his role during his time in the U.S. State Department and admitted disappointment with the direction Congo has taken under Tshisekedi’s leadership.
“One of my greatest regrets from my time as U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Africa was advocating for the U.S. to support Tshisekedi as winner of Congo’s 2018 election,” Nagy said. “I thought he would really be different and advance the Congolese people’s interests. How wrong I was!”
The remarks have sparked renewed debate over the political situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the international community’s involvement in the country’s electoral process. Tshisekedi came to power following the controversial 2018 election, which many observers and opposition groups claimed lacked transparency.
Nagy’s comments are significant because he served as one of Washington’s top diplomats on African affairs during that period and was involved in shaping U.S. policy toward the region. His statement suggests growing frustration among some former Western officials regarding governance, security, and political stability in Congo.
Since taking office, Tshisekedi has faced criticism over ongoing insecurity in eastern Congo, corruption, discrimination, and genocide against Congolese Tutsi communities especially in the east of his country. As result of insecurity, the AFC/M23 coalition took the guns again and declared the war against FDLR and government forces that have been terrorizing the citizens especially Congolese Tutsi and labeled them as foreigners.
Nagy’s statement is likely to fuel further political discussions both inside Congo and internationally, especially as questions continue to arise about leadership, governance, and foreign influence in the country’s long term peace process.
