Congo-Kinshasa: DRC President Felix Tshisekedi Sworn in for Second Term

@Presidence_RDC
DR Congo President Felix Tshisekedi being sworn-in for a second term at Martyrs Stadium in Kinshasa on January 20, 2024.
20 January 2024
Deutsche Welle (Bonn)

Following an election fraught with logistical problems, Felix Tshisekedi was sworn in for a second term as president of the Democratic Republic of Congo. He vowed to make the DRC "more united, stronger and prosperous."

Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) President Felix Tshisekedi was sworn in on Saturday for a second five-year term after a winning 73% of the vote in December's election.

"I am aware of your expectations," Tshisekedi said in his inauguration speech, going on to mention unemployment, youth, women and national cohesion. "We want a more united, stronger and prosperous Congo."

Opposition's petitions failed at top court

Opposition candidates did not attend the swearing-in ceremony and questioned the legality of the vote. They called on supporters to take to the streets.

There was no indication of protests in Kinshasa, the DRC capital, where military police were deployed, and only small protests took place in Goma and Beni on Saturday.

Many of the polling stations in the December 20 election opened late, or not at all, and others lacked voting materials. The country's election commission put voter turnout at 40%. Congo's constitutional court rejected an opposition candidate's petition to annul the election, saying Tshisekedi earned "a majority of votes cast."

Population plagued by poverty, violence

Home to more than 100 million people, the DRC is rich in mineral resources, yet 25% of the population faces food insecurity and about 62% live on less than a dollar a day.

Analysts have said Tshisekedi's main tasks will include restoring peace and stability in the country's east. Violence there, where over 120 armed groups fight for power and a share of the country's resources, has displaced nearly 7 million people.

A UN peacekeeping mission in DRC is ending after over 20 years, and troops from an East African regional force are also departing.

In his speech, Tshisekedi promised "a profound restructuring of our security and defense apparatus" and additional efforts to address the security crisis in the east.

Tshisekedi became president in 2019 after emerging from the shadow of his father, who was one of Congo's most popular figures.

His first inauguration was Congo's first democratic transfer of power since the country's independence from Belgium in 1960.

sms/jcg (AP, Reuters, AFP)

Tagged:
Copyright © 2024 Deutsche Welle. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.

AllAfrica publishes around 500 reports a day from more than 100 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals, representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct.

Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica. To address comments or complaints, please Contact us.