By Rédaction Africa Links 24 with sabcnews.com
Published on 2024-01-19 05:29:32
In a general election held on December 20-24, Tshisekedi and his party emerged as the victors with a landslide victory. However, the election was plagued by widespread allegations of fraud, logistical inadequacies, and disruptions, putting Congo at risk of further instability. The Democratic Republic of Congo is the third-largest producer of copper and the leading producer of cobalt, a crucial component in electric car batteries.
Despite the overwhelming win, the election was marred by accusations of fraud and calls for a re-run by opposition leaders Martin Fayulu and Moise Katumbi, which have been rebuffed by the authorities. Katumbi declared that they would protest against the results on January 20, citing widespread fraud and the need for the elections to be annulled. These protests are expected to take place in both the capital city, Kinshasa, and the second-largest city, Lubumbashi.
The influential Catholic bishops’ conference in Congo also condemned the election, describing it as a “catastrophe” and warning that the country is in danger. The bishops’ conference, CENCO, had carried out the largest election observation mission throughout the country and reported finding a significant number of parallel votes cast with voting machines being found in private residences. They also criticized Congo’s national electoral commission, CENI, calling for it to scrutinize its involvement in the situation.
Despite these allegations, the electoral commission has consistently denied any wrongdoing and rejected claims of fraud. In response to the provisional results of the legislative election, which showed Tshisekedi’s UDPS party winning 69 seats in parliament, police dispersed a small protest in Kinshasa.
The situation in Congo following the election has raised concerns about the political stability and overall security of the country, especially given its crucial role as a major copper and cobalt producer. The disputed election outcome has sparked widespread unrest and the potential for further instability if the situation is not resolved satisfactorily.
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