AFDC-A Withdraws Support for Motion of No Confidence Against Interior Minister

Kinshasa, April 14, 2026 - A motion of no confidence targeting Deputy Prime Minister in charge of the Interior and Security, Jacquemain Shabani, has lost momentum after the political grouping AFDC-A announced the withdrawal of support from its elected officials who had signed the initiative. The announcement was made by AFDC-A leader Senator Modeste Bahati Lukwebo, who distanced his political platform from what he described as an “isolated” move by two of its National Assembly members. According to the statement, the MPs acted without prior consultation and in violation of internal party rules. The two deputies, Cizungu Ntaboba Landry and Placide Wemba Mukagwa, had signed the motion alongside other legislators, triggering the parliamentary procedure that could have led to the resignation or dismissal of the Interior Minister if sufficient signatures were secured and a plenary vote held. Bahati Lukwebo called on the lawmakers to withdraw their signatures, reaffirming that AFDC-A, which is part of the ruling Sacred Union coalition supporting President Félix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo, had not endorsed the initiative. One of the MPs involved, Cizungu Ntaboba, later indicated his withdrawal from the parliamentary process linked to the motion. He had previously accused the Interior Ministry of serious governance failures, including interference in provincial administration, obstruction of parliamentary oversight, violations of institutional balance, and abuse of authority. The motion itself had cited broader concerns over national security and alleged responsibility for persistent insecurity in parts of the country. With AFDC-A’s withdrawal, the initiative appears to have been significantly weakened, raising uncertainty over whether it will gather enough parliamentary support to proceed to a vote in the National Assembly.