Tshisekedi finally announces new DR Congo prime minister

Tshisekedi finally announces new DR Congo prime minister

President Felix Tshisekedi has finally named a prime minister for Democratic Republic of Congo, and it’s longtime politician Dr. Sylvestre Ilunga Ilukamba who gets the nod. The announcement of Ilukamba, most recently the head of the nation’s railway system, was made Monday in a television address. The new prime minister…

DRC postpones elections until December 30

DRC postpones elections until December 30

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…

DRC: Will electoral commission postpone the elections again?

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…

EU extends sanctions against Congolese candidate Shadary

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…

DRC: Kabila says he won’t rule out return to power

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…

A united Tshisekedi, Kamerhe return to DRC

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…

Tshisekedi, Kamerhe pull out of DRC coalition candidate deal

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…

Congolese opposition names Fayulu as coalition presidential candidate

A group of seven Congolese political opposition leaders announced their decision for a presidential candidate on Sunday, choosing Martin Fayulu of the Engagement for Citizenship and Development (ECiDé) party to face President Joseph Kabila’s own choice in the December 23 election. With the long-delayed date looming in Democratic Republic of Congo,…

DRC election: CENCO bishops express concern over credibility

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the influential National Episcopal Conference of Congo (CENCO) bishops said Tuesday that they are mobilizing thousands of Congolese volunteers to help monitor the elections set for December. The Roman Catholic organization, which has helped to lead peaceful protests against President Joseph Kabila’s regime and…

DRC: Kabila won’t run again as Shadary gets the nomination

President Joseph Kabila will not run for a third term in Democratic Republic of Congo’s elections in December, as his PPRD party announced the selection of Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary on Wednesday. Shadary, a Kabila ally and secretary for the ruling party, was named as Congolese candidates met the registration deadline….

Congolese opposition balks at announcement on 2018 elections

Sunday’s announcement that long-deferred elections will take place in December 2018 in Democratic Republic of Congo is meeting with some hope, confusion and rejection. President Joseph Kabila’s ruling party welcomed the decision in a statement released Monday. The Parti du Peuple pour La Reconstruction et La Democratie (PPRD) acknowledged the…