DRC GOV'T BLOCKS KÉMI SÉBA'S HONORARY DEGREE

What a snub! 

Kémi Séba (@KemiSeba1 on X), founder of the Pan-African organisation @UrgencesPanaf (on X), flew into the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on 24 March for a ceremony to be granted an honorary doctorate degree at the Bel Campus University in Kinshasa. 

He said it would have been one of the greatest accolades of his life. 

However, upon his arrival, the university's founder explained that the DRC Ministry of Higher and University Education had postponed the ceremony. Séba said he understood it was not merely postponed but cancelled due to interference from France.

According to Maud-Salomé Ekila Bofunda (@Ekilaaa on X), spokesperson of Urgences Panafricanistes, ‘The reasons given by the Ministry of Higher Education are clear: Diplomatic pressure from France, which does not approve of the DRC, which it considers a friendly country, allowing a Congolese university to award this type of title to a person who ‘acts’ against France and makes anti-French comments.’

In 2024, France revoked Séba's citizenship for allegedly working against French interests. However, it came after he burned his French passport.

What do you make of this situation? Let us know in the comments.

Video credit: @Ekilaaa on X
Sources

https://x.com/Ekilaaa/status/1904141354659139711

https://x.com/Ekilaaa/status/1904443782432444467