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Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi (60)was sworn in Saturday following a disputed December election. The jubilant president, who was sworn in for the second consecutive time, promises to unite the Central African country to protect lives in the conflict-hit eastern region
Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi (60) was sworn in Saturday following a disputed December election. The jubilant president, who was sworn in for the second consecutive time, promises to unite the Central African country to protect lives in the conflict-hit eastern region.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by several heads of state. His first inauguration in 2019 marked Congo’s first democratic transfer of power since the country’s independence from Belgium in 1960.
Tshisekedi won re-election with more than 70% of the vote. However, opposition candidates and their supporters questioned the validity of the election, which was mired in logistical problems. So far, no one from the top contenders for the post has approached the constitutional court on the plea that it would not serve any purpose; a sort of disdain that their plea would not be looked into objectively.
Congo’s constitutional court earlier this month rejected a petition by an opposition candidate to annul the election. The court ruled that malpractice allegations were unfounded and that Tshisekedi secured “a majority of votes cast.” Opposition candidates asked their supporters to protest the president’s inauguration, though there were no signs of protests in the capital, Kinshasa, on Saturday.
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Congo, a country of more than 100 million people, is blessed with sprawling mineral resources. But economic and security challenges have stifled its development. One in four citizens faces crisis or emergency levels of food insecurity, according to U.N. statistics.
