Réveil Populaire: new political grouping to support the re-election of President Tshisekedi in the DRC
On Sunday June 12, 2023, the official launch of Réveil Populaire (Repop), a political grouping made up of four political parties, was held in Kinshasa. Claude Ibalanky, national president of the Cause Commune (CC) party and roving ambassador of the President of the Republic, occupies the presidency of this new group. Réveil Populaire is aiming for an electoral victory for a comfortable majority in the various Congolese legislative bodies with a view to the re-election of President Félix Tshisekedi for a second term in 2024.
The member parties of Repop, namely Cause Commune (CC), Alliance for a New Congo (APCN), Republican People’s Union (UPRe) and Les Congolese (LC), want to grant a second term to the Head of State with a majority comfortable enough to guarantee the calm execution of its political programme. Indeed, the official exit ceremony of Repop saw the participation of several personalities of the country, in particular the 1st vice-president of the National Assembly, deputies and senators, ministers, the secretary general of the UDPS, party in power, religious denominations and traditional chiefs.
Meanwhile, the draft law on the distribution of seats divides senators on the level of electoral reform in the DRC. Similarly, the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) announced the start of voter registration in Kwamouth territory. In addition, there are legal advances but challenges for the inclusion of women in the DRC, which could be one of the keys to the success of the next presidential election.
Unfortunately, the security situation in the DRC remains worrying. Monusco calls for rapid action to guarantee the safety of civilian populations after a deadly attack in a site for displaced people. In addition, senators from the FCC coalition oppose the electoral process in the DRC by boycotting the draft law on the distribution of seats.
However, two Congolese students won the national final of the OHADA international competition and represented the DRC at the 2023 edition of Génies en herbe. Also, the Barrick Gold Corporation is investing 25 million to save the white rhinos in Garamba National Park. With new policies also underway, such as the candidacy of Hortense Kavuo Maliro, a Congolese politician who is running for the presidency for an inclusive management of the DRC, the country is undergoing major transformations.
On an observation mission in Goma, Deputy Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Bemba Ngombo wondered about the situation of the war in North Kivu, one of the provinces most affected by persistent armed conflicts. Finally, the resurgence of violence in the region is manifested by the massacre of 41 displaced persons in the province of Ituri, which is attributed to the activities of the armed groups of Codeco.
The DRC is therefore a country in full mutation where political issues coexist with security challenges, social and economic progress as well as the fight for the inclusion of the most vulnerable populations.