2023-06-12: The European Union on an electoral exploratory mission in the DRC
A team of technicians sent by the European Union is starting a 15-day “electoral exploratory” mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The mission is made up of experts responsible for ensuring the political, security and logistical conditions necessary for the observation of the elections scheduled for December 2023. The mission will be present in the field to meet the various stakeholders, take into account the security environment, observation conditions and any other factor facilitating the smooth running of the elections. The results of the mission will be presented to the hierarchy of the European Union who will decide whether or not to deploy an electoral observation mission for the elections next December.
The head of the delegation, Vincent Ringenbert, specified that the report of their mission will be decisive for the European Union in order to determine whether it will observe the elections or not. This exploratory mission will allow the European Union to take into account all the parameters before giving its approval for an election observation.
It is important to note that the exploratory mission of the European Union intervenes in a context of political tension in the DRC, because an electoral reform which is debating has been proposed by the senators of the Common Front for Congo (FCC). This reform, which provides for the enrollment of new voters, was strongly contested by the opposition and the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI).
For some time, the political participation of women in the DRC has often been put forward and several activities and meetings to resolve certain obstacles are organized by the local authorities. The issue of press freedom remains a major problem in the DRC, with many journalists being arrested for covering political and social events. On the other hand, the Congolese news is not only political. Congolese students have just won the national final of the OHADA international competition and Barrick Gold is facilitating the return of white rhinos to the Democratic Republic of Congo as part of its biodiversity conservation efforts. Pan-African music will also be in the spotlight with FESPAM 2023 in Brazzaville, and new political groups such as Réveil Populaire or candidates such as Hortense Kavuo Maliro are emerging. Economic and environmental issues are also addressed in disputes between the territorial administrator and the Pweto safety commission. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is therefore a country in full evolution