The news doesn’t comes as much of a surprise to many in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the parties of newly elected President Felix Tshisekedi and former president Joseph Kabila – with his “senator for life” role and a loyalist majority in the National Assembly – have been working…
Lambert Mende, the information minister for the Democratic Republic of Congo, was quick to condemn France for a “colonialist attitude” after its foreign minister questioned results of the December 30 presidential election that give opposition politician Felix Tshisekedi the win. Mende, a ruling party loyalist and ally of outgoing President…
The Democratic Republic of Congo was still waiting early Thursday morning, as the 11:00 p.m. deadline for announcing results from the contentious December 30 presidential election came and went. It was nearly two hours later when chief Corneille Nangaa and election officials with CENI, the national electoral commission, finally entered the…
The top election official in Democratic Republic of Congo complained that foreign diplomats are interfering with the CENI electoral commission’s work, even as Sunday’s deadline passed with no results of the December 30 election made public. Corneille Nangaa told local journalists that “diplomats are trying to threaten us” but did…
Congolese election officials face pressure from within and outside the country to release legitimate polling results, even as the CENI electoral commission warns of delays in publishing provisional results expected on Sunday. The Roman Catholic bishops of the National Episcopal Conference of Congo (CENCO), influential for more than two years…
Two years ago on New Year’s Eve, the Democratic Republic of Congo finally saw a breakthrough in the political impasse that pitted outgoing President Joseph Kabila against opposition leaders who demanded elections. Kabila, having reached the end of his constitutionally limited second term, agreed to a deal brokered through CENCO,…
Laureen is the editor of Africa Times
Congolese opposition politicians are crying foul after a national electoral commission (CENI) decision announced Wednesday that will exclude three large cities and some 1.2 million voters from Sunday’s elections, on the grounds that the Ebola outbreak and community violence pose too much risk. CENI said that Beni, Butembo and Yumbi…
The head of the national electoral commission (CENI) in Democratic Republic of Congo said Thursday that long-delayed elections scheduled for Sunday are now postponed until December 30. Corneille Nangaa, the CENI president, held a press conference in Kinshasa to explain that for technical and logistic reasons, the contentious elections must…
The head of the national electoral commission (CENI) in Democratic Republic of Congo plans a press conference for Thursday amid growing concerns that long-delayed elections could be postponed yet again. Corneille Nangaa, the CENI president, said as recently as Monday that he was confident the elections planned for Sunday would…
As the Democratic Republic of Congo prepares for long delayed elections next week, increasing reports of violence have drawn a response from United Nations human rights chief Michelle Bachelet. Bachelet said Friday that the reports of deaths, attacks and clashes compromise the Congolese people, as she urged that “the rights…
The European Union on Monday approved a one-year extension on sanctions placed against 14 people for human rights violations in the Democratic Republic of Congo, including the hand-picked presidential candidate and close ally of outgoing President Joseph Kabila. Emmanel Ramazani Shadary, the People’s Party for Reconstruction and Democracy (PPRD) candidate…
President Joseph Kabila may have stepped aside for the moment, but he hasn’t ruled out a future run in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Kabila told media outlets on Sunday that he may contemplate a return to power, with the next presidential election expected in 2023. The Congolese president stubbornly…
Top-ticket Congolese candidates Felix Tshisekedi, above, and Vital Kamerhe made a high-profile return to Kinshasa on Tuesday, with thousands of supporters crowding the streets in the rain to watch their motorcade come from the airport. While the day was mostly peaceful, there were a few conflicts between police and the…
Official campaigning has kicked off in Democratic Republic of Congo, where long-delayed elections are scheduled for December 23. The national elections commission, CENI, designated Thursday as the start of campaigning for a field of 21 candidates certified in September. Front-runners for the presidency include Martin Fayulu of the Engagement for…
Two key Congolese opposition leaders, Felix Tshisekedi and Vital Kamerhe, have pulled out of an agreement to back Martin Fayulu of the Engagement for Citizenship and Development (ECiDé) party as their coalition candidate in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s December 23 election. Both men said they were responding to the…