Tensions are mounting inside Together for the Republic, the Congolese opposition party led by Moïse Katumbi, as a dispute between senior figures exposes deeper divisions and raises questions over the movement’s unity.
The current crisis centres on Senator Salomon Kalonda and Olivier Kamitatu, a former planning minister who serves as Katumbi’s chief of staff. What began as a media dispute quickly escalated into accusations and threats before party leaders intervened to calm tensions, according to Jeune Afrique.
The row began after Congo Confidential published an analysis on July 26 claiming Katumbi’s party had split into two camps. One faction, associated with Kalonda, was described as favouring a more conciliatory approach towards President Félix Tshisekedi, while another, including Kamitatu, was said to favour a tougher line against the government.
Although there was no evidence linking Kamitatu to the website, Kalonda accused him directly of using intermediaries and underhand tactics to target political rivals. He also warned that any response from him would be made in “self-defence.”
Kamitatu attempted to contact Kalonda by telephone but was unable to reach him. He later denied in writing that he had any connection to the website and expressed regret over what he described as a misunderstanding.
Kalonda, however, stood by his accusations, referring to alleged “fronts” and “mysterious intermediaries” and promising to reveal further details.
Katumbi mediation fails to end tensions
Constant Omari, a senior figure close to those involved in the dispute, stepped in to help contain the crisis. His intervention eventually led to a conference call involving Kalonda, Kamitatu and Katumbi.
On July 29, Kalonda and Kamitatu issued a joint statement saying they had moved past the dispute and calling on supporters to end public attacks.
The truce proved short-lived.
A day earlier, Sona Kamitatu, Olivier Kamitatu’s daughter and a former senator, had written to Katumbi criticising what she saw as the party leadership’s failure to take a clear position.
The following day, she announced her resignation from the party after saying she had not received the clarification she had sought.
Within days, media attacks against Kamitatu resumed, while his supporters also began targeting Kalonda, pushing the dispute beyond internal party structures and into public debate and social media.
Tensions intensified further in August after Kamitatu obtained a new passport following an intervention by former Guinean president Alpha Condé with Tshisekedi at Katumbi’s request.
Some media outlets alleged that the passport had been obtained in exchange for a bribe, an accusation rejected by Kamitatu’s supporters, who said the reports were part of a coordinated campaign by his rivals.
Kamitatu at centre of deepening dispute
The confrontation escalated again on August 17 when Hervé Diakiese, a party spokesperson close to Kamitatu, warned those attacking the former minister and described him as the party’s “general and marshal.”
Rather than calming the dispute, Diakiese’s remarks triggered further tension. The party leadership subsequently announced disciplinary action against him, while another official was permanently expelled over insults connected to the row.
Party Secretary-General Dieudonné Bolengetenge said Together for the Republic was trying to manage the crisis and confirmed that Kamitatu had submitted a written report on the dispute.
The leadership is now waiting for Kalonda to provide his own account before organising a meeting between the two sides.
Bolengetenge acknowledged that the party was facing internal difficulties, saying the situation was “not ideal” and admitting that mistakes had been made.
Kamitatu, however, is seeking more than an end to his personal dispute with Kalonda. He wants the leadership to address what he describes as deeper problems, including an organised campaign to discredit him and breaches of the party’s internal procedures.
He is also pushing for the suspension imposed on Diakiese to be lifted, arguing that the handling of the spokesperson reflects a broader institutional problem within the party.
Risk of a wider opposition split
The crisis points to a broader struggle over the political direction of Katumbi’s movement and how aggressively it should confront Tshisekedi.
One wing appears to favour keeping channels of communication open with the government, while another wants the opposition to adopt a more confrontational stance.
If the divisions continue, they could weaken Katumbi’s ability to maintain a united opposition camp, particularly as internal disputes increasingly spill into the media and social networks.
According to party sources cited in the report, Katumbi and Kamitatu resumed direct communication on August 23.
A detailed file has also reportedly been submitted to the party leadership outlining the origins of the dispute, the nature of the campaigns targeting those involved and allegations concerning their funding and coordination.
The central question is now whether Katumbi can contain the conflict and address its underlying causes, or whether the confrontation will expose deeper divisions threatening the unity of one of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s most prominent opposition movements.