DR Congo politics: ARDEV elects John Kaswamanga as president, Kabila family rejects Burundi meeting invite

The socio‑cultural association MUBEKA publicly endorsed Hon. John Ngandu Kaswamanga after his election as national president of the ARDEV party in Lubumbashi. In a July 5, 2026 statement, the group praised the appointment as a hopeful signal for greater cohesion and political dynamism within the party and pledged to support Kaswamanga’s mandate.

Separately, members of former President Joseph Kabila’s political platform declined an invitation from Burundi President Évariste Ndayishimiye to attend a meeting in Bujumbura. The Kabila camp described the invitation as “inopportune” and said it would not be accepted, while urging democratic forces to remain united against any authoritarian drift.