Former U.S. Diplomat Regrets Backing Tshisekedi in 2018 Election
Former United States Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Tibor Nagy has said he regrets supporting Félix Tshisekedi as the winner of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s 2018 presidential election.
Nagy made the remarks on May 7, 2026, just one day after President Tshisekedi suggested he could seek a third term in office if requested by the Congolese people.
In a public statement, Nagy said he had believed Tshisekedi would become a different kind of leader capable of advancing the interests of the Congolese population.
“One of my biggest regrets while in office is that I recommended the United States support Tshisekedi as the winner of the 2018 election,” Nagy stated. “I thought he would be a different leader and promote the interests of the Congolese people. I was very wrong.”
The comments marked a sharp contrast to Nagy’s earlier position in 2019, when he welcomed Tshisekedi to Washington shortly after he assumed office. At the time, the former diplomat praised him for overseeing what was presented as the country’s first peaceful democratic transfer of power.
Nagy had also commended Tshisekedi’s early efforts to improve relations with neighboring countries including Rwanda and Uganda, release political prisoners, and ease pressure on opposition activities.
The controversy comes after President Tshisekedi held a press conference in Kinshasa on Wednesday evening, lasting more than three hours, during which he indicated he may run for a third term depending on public demand. He also stated that any constitutional changes would be subjected to a referendum.
Tshisekedi further warned that the ongoing insecurity in eastern Congo could make it impossible to organize the presidential elections scheduled for 2028.
“If we cannot stop this war, unfortunately we will not be able to organize elections in 2028,” he said. “But it will not be because I refuse to organize them. The capacity exists. We can do it. But we cannot organize elections without North Kivu and South Kivu. How would we hold elections?”
The Congolese leader compared the situation to Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Ukraine, whose presidential term expired in May 2024 but whose country postponed elections because of the ongoing war with Russia.
Tshisekedi’s remarks have sparked intense debate both inside Congo and internationally, with opposition figures and analysts expressing concerns over the future of democracy in the country, particularly regarding constitutional order and the peaceful transfer of power.
President Tshisekedi has led the DRC since January 2019, succeeding former President Joseph Kabila, with whom relations later deteriorated. Earlier in April 2026, Tshisekedi hinted that he could still be in power by 2032, saying he hoped the country would by then have achieved stronger economic stability.
