Category: Challenges

The President of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Felix-Antoine Tshisekedi, paid a four-day official visit to China to strengthen economic relations between the two countries and sign bilateral agreements. In a speech addressed to the Congolese community living in China, he denounced the collaboration between the elements of the contingents of the Regional Force of the East African Community (EAC) and those of the M23, which continue to sow desolation in the east of the country. He also denounced Rwanda’s aggression and presented a strategic action plan to preserve the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The Congolese government is organizing an inter-armed group dialogue in May 2023 to resolve the crisis that has shaken Ituri province for several years. This dialogue will bring together different local armed groups such as FPIC, CODECO, MAPI and FRPI to discuss the security situation in the province and find solutions to achieve a lasting peace. Community leaders are also invited to participate for an inclusive and participatory approach. MONUSCO will provide logistical and technical support to guarantee the success of this meeting. However, it remains to be seen whether the various armed groups will be ready to make concessions to build a lasting peace in Ituri.

The article deals with the situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the opposition protests against an electoral process deemed chaotic and accuses the power in place of dictatorial drift. The opposition leaders notably organized a sit-in in front of the Independent National Electoral Commission to denounce an alleged plan of cheating. The Congolese police are accused of being unnecessarily violent and instrumentalized by the regime. The Congolese opposition multiplies public demonstrations but must be accompanied by a structured program to have a real impact on the situation.

Political tensions in the Democratic Republic of Congo continue to escalate as the opposition rejects the electoral timetable set by the electoral commission. Opponents organized a sit-in to denounce an attempt at electoral fraud and the protest was accompanied by police repression. Congolese civil society, human rights organizations and some political actors in power also reject the electoral calendar and the electoral register. In this context, President Félix Tshisekedi is accused of neglecting electoral issues for the benefit of his personal interests by traveling to China to renegotiate the contract of the century. It is crucial that the actors of Congolese political life promote the transparency of the electoral process and avoid any instrumentalization of the protest for political ends.

This article discusses several topics around the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), including sexual violence, victims’ claims, the tense political situation, economic progress with the appointment of the new Deputy Director General of the Habitat Fund and the relations with China, as well as the preparation of the Games of La Francophonie in Kinshasa. Although the DRC faces many challenges, both social and economic and political, the country continues to move forward despite everything.

The electoral crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo intensifies with the refusal of members of the Common Front for Congo to participate in the examination of the draft electoral law on the distribution of seats for the next legislative, provincial and municipal elections. and local. Elected officials close to former President Joseph Kabila denounce a “fraudulent” and “chaotic” electoral process, calling for the establishment of a consensual electoral commission as well as an inclusive electoral law. The government has passed a bill on the distribution of seats, but the refusal of FCC deputies shows the political tensions that remain in the DRC. Civil society and other political actors continue to denounce the unreliability of the electoral process, stressing the importance of working together to organize credible and transparent elections.

At least 15 people were killed in an attack by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) in the village of Kanana in North Kivu province. Three women and several farmers were killed, and the bodies of ten victims were found and buried. The attack is attributed to ADF rebels who have resumed their murderous activities in the region after several months of relative stability. This resurgence of violence is causing concern among the population and local authorities, who are demanding stricter measures from the government to deal with this threat.

The Congolese football team will face that of Gabon for the qualifiers for the 2023 African Cup of Nations, without Cédric Bakambu but with Jonathan Bolingi Mpangi. DRC need to win their last two games to qualify despite their current fourth place. But the country must also face security, social and economic challenges, as well as a humanitarian crisis in Greater Bandundu. Fatshimétrie’s blog offers comprehensive news coverage from the DRC, including an upcoming massive measles vaccination campaign.

The leaders of the Congolese opposition, Martin Fayulu, Moise Katumbi, Augustin Matata Ponyo and Delly Sesanga, have decided to organize a popular meeting on June 17 at Place Sainte Thérèse in Kinshasa to discuss with the people of Kinshasa on “important issues of the nation”, in reaction to the repression of the opposition march and the action of the Independent National Electoral Commission. They want to “resist and exercise citizen vigilance” to obtain the organization of the elections within the constitutional deadline and to bring to a successful conclusion the struggle of the Congolese people for a true rule of law. The humanitarian crisis affecting the country remains present, particularly in the province of Bandundu where the militiamen are confined in inhuman conditions and risk returning to the guerrillas.