DR Congo’s president, reelected, to take office today

Felix Tshisekedi, the president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is scheduled to take office on Saturday for a second five-year term following a landslide of elections that the opposition has denounced as fraudulent and called for protests.

The celebration will take place at Kinshasa’s 80,000-seat Martyrs sports stadium, which is the preferred venue for the 60-year-old president known as “Fatshi,” despite simmering tensions in the nation’s unstable eastern provinces.

Officials say that eighteen additional heads of state will be present.

His first swearing-in took place in the somber grounds of the Palace of Nations, a location that has historically hosted significant governmental events, in January 2019, following his controversial victory over Joseph Kabila.

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Etienne Tshisekedi, a legendary opposition politician who passed away, is the father of Tshisekedi.

When he ran for president, he pledged to end 25 years of violence in the east and improve living conditions in the mineral-rich but primarily impoverished Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Although he has not fulfilled his promises, he ran on a platform of his first term’s accomplishments, including free primary care, and requested an additional mandate to “consolidate” the gains.

On December 20, more than 40 million individuals were registered to vote for a president, as well as for local, state, and federal legislators and council members.

• “Gigantic, organized mess” – Polling was formally prolonged by one day to accommodate several logistical snags and persisted in isolated locations for days beyond.

Tshisekedi ultimately emerged victorious with 73.47 percent of the vote.

Former Katanga central region governor Moise Katumbi finished far behind with 18.08 percent.

Five percent went to Martin Fayulu, who claims he was likewise duped in the previous presidential election.

Denis Mukwege, the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts helping rape victims, received a 0.22 percent score.

These contenders demanded that the election results be void. The police prohibited and put an end to a protest that was scheduled for December 27.

The Kinshasa archbishop referred to the polls as a “gigantic, organised mess.”

In a nation with a troubled political history, claims of fraud and a “electoral hold-up” have not diminished, and there is still cause for concern about violence.

• Security issues: On Saturday, supporters are urged by Katumbi and Fayulu to “show their discontent.”

“To stand up and say ‘no,'” they exhorted everyone, wherever they might be.

In addition to the use of unauthorized voting machines, instances of fraud, vandalism, and intimidation have been acknowledged by the CENI electoral body.

Votes for 82 candidates, including three ministers of state and four provincial governors, were canceled in the general election.

For Tshisekedi, the security challenge is still enormous.

Violence between the army and M23 rebels, who are supported by neighboring Rwanda, has since restarted in the east after a respite before the elections.

Soldiers from the ten-nation Southern African Development Community (SADC) have been quietly entering the Democratic Republic of the Congo since mid-December.

They are replacing an East African peacekeeping force whose mission was terminated by the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the grounds that it engaged in rebel collaboration rather than combat.

On Tuesday, a senior army official stated that Kinshasa was depending on them to assist it in regaining ground against the M23 militia, which has taken over large areas of the east since resuming operations in 2021.