African Union: Communiqué on the Democratic Republic of the Congo (21.01.2019)

The Commission calls on all concerned to work for the preservation of peace and stability and the promotion of national harmony in their country.

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, January 21, 2019 – The African Union Commission takes note of the decision of the Constitutional Court of the Democratic Repubic of the Congo proclaiming the final results of the presidential and national and provincial and legislative elections of 30 December 2018.

The Commission calls on all concerned to work for the preservation of peace and stability and the promotion of national harmony in their country.

The Commission reiterates the continued availability of the African Union to accompany the Democratic Republic of the Congo in this critical phase of its history, as well as its solidarity with the Congolese people.

It should be noted that the visit of the high-level delegation to Kinshasa on 21 January 2019 has been postponed.

The February 2019 Summit of the Union will receive a report on the efforts made, in solidarity with, and support to, the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

African Union: Communiqué on the Democratic Republic of the Congo (20.01.2019)

Opinion: Kabila’s 2nd Best Choice is now the President-Elect!

The celebration of victory from Lambert Mende and Evariste Boshab proves there are something up. As the Constitutional Court dismissed the petition of Lamuka and Martin Fayulu, as he claims and also Catholic Observers claim. That the CENI have proclaimed CACH Coaliton Felix Tshisekedi as President, which gives the possibility of a giant role in the cabinet of Vital Kamerhe. This is happening after the two year postponed polls on the 30th December 2018.

With the newly minted respected President-Elect Tshisekedi, the speculation will ravish and his legitimacy will limp through the rough terrain and questionable election that is upheld. Since, the first Kabila endorsed Emmanuel Shadari was supposed to steady as it goes. However, the CENI and Kabila couldn’t let him win. Because, Shadari was even less popular than Tshisekedi. Therefore, Kabila changed strategy after secret meetings just in the days after the postponed announcement of the Election results. Which is also showing how little transparent and how much of a shadow dealer the “former” President is.

President Kabila, the now former will still be lingering in the shadows and be vital to the government. Even as the successor Tshisekedi made a deal with Kabila together with Kamerhe, who has worked closely with Kabila in the past. Therefore, these men are ready to serve him and his mission in the DRC.

What is painful about yesterday and the announced victory by CENI to Tshisekedi, is that the CACH coalition didn’t win this election. Neither did the FCC, but the Constitutional Court and CENI knows this. However, they have to do this, because Kabila has ordered this and they have to comply.

We know, that the authorities are afraid of transparency and proper protocol of counting the ballots and electoral procedure. As the authorities blocked off the internet between 31st December 2018 until 19th January 2019. The Internet only came back as the Constitutional Court was preparing to install the new President through the legal proceedings. We can soon assume that the authorities are preparing the Swearing-In Ceremony to fulfil the requirements for the takeover.

However, the takeover is only mildly, as the Kabila loyal people are in the background and giddy. While they are supposed to cry havoc for losing, but that is not evidence and the world is seeing that. While the real opposition the Lamuka, Fayulu is claiming to be President-Elect. Even if nobody is recognizing him. The SADC, the Presidents of Tanzania, Burundi, Kenya, South Africa have already within the 24 hours after the ruling, they have celebrated the victory of Tshisekedi.

While Tshisekedi is ready to live a lie, he is ready to be a fraud and the one in the shadow of Kabila. He will be the puppet and the one awaiting to follow guidelines. He might look powerful, but he will be figurehead and not the one really in-charge. The ones believing so is naive. They are not knowing Kabila and his ways.

You know Kabila had to get his ways, as the public had to wait two years before they got to the polls. When the polls was done, he couldn’t realize the results before he had solution to keep power and his place in the shadow. When he did, he could make the Second Best Choice the President. Just to ensure himself a vital place. Now, the Constitutional Court has ruled in favour of the President and that is not shockingly, but expected at this point.

Therefore, in some respects, it wasn’t an election, but a selection. Peace.

RDC: Congratulatory Message by the SADC Chairperson to the President-Elect of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mr. Felix Tshisekedi (20.01.2019)

RDC: Declaration Politique de la Coordination Provinciale de la Coalition Lamuka au Nord Kivu No. 003 du 20 Janiver 2019 (20.01.2019)

RDC: Lamuka – Statement of the President-elect of the Democratic Republic of Congo 01/19/2019 (19.01.2019)

RDC: Declaration Politique de l’Union pour la Democratie et le Progress Social – UDPS/Tshisekedi – Relative au Communique de la Reuion Consultative de Haut Niveau de Chefs d’Etat et de Gouvernment sur la Situation en Republique Democratique du Congo (19.01.2019)

RDC: Greffe de Cour Constitutionnelle – Extrait de Role (19.01.2019)

RDC: Lamuka – Appel de Martin Fayulu Madidi et de la Coalition Lamuka au peuple Congolais (18.01.2019)

Communiqué of the High-Level Consultative Meeting of Heads of State and Government on the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (17.01.2019)

Following consultations between the Chairperson of the African Union (AU) and President of the Republic of Rwanda, H.E. Paul Kagame, and leaders of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), a high-level consultative meeting of Heads of State and Government took place today, 17 January 2019, at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa, to exchange views on the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in the wake of the presidential, national and provincial legislative elections of 30 December 2018 and agree on a way forward.

This initiative is part of the African-led efforts, in the spirit of continental solidarity, to assist the DRC political stakeholders and people to successfully conclude the electoral process and preserve peace and stability in their country.

The meeting was chaired by the Chairperson of the AU, and attended by a number of Heads of State and Government or their representatives from SADC, the ICGLR, ECCAS, ECOWAS, IGAD, EAC, the African members of the UN Security Council, the AU troika, as well as by the Chairperson of the AU Commission.

The meeting was briefed on the electoral process in the DRC and subsequent developments by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the DRC.

The meeting also received updates from the Chairpersons of the ICGLR, SADC and the AU Commission, and had in-depth exchanges of views thereafter.

The Heads of State and Government attending the meeting concluded that there were serious doubts on the conformity of the provisional results, as proclaimed by the National Independent Electoral Commission, with the votes cast.

Accordingly, the Heads of State and Government called for the suspension of the proclamation of the final results of the elections.

The Heads of State and Government agreed to urgently dispatch to the DRC a high-level delegation comprising the Chairperson of the Union and other Heads of State and Government, as well as the Chairperson of the AU Commission, to interact with all Congolese stakeholders, with the view to reaching a consensus on a way out of the post-electoral crisis in the country. The meeting urged all concerned actors in the DRC to interact positively with the high-level African delegation in the interest of their country and its people.

The Heads of State and Government reiterated the AU’s determination to continue to accompany the People of the DRC in this process.

The Heads of State and Government expressed their appreciation to the Chairperson of the Union for having taken the initiative of this consultative meeting. They also thanked the AU Commission and the Ethiopian authorities for the practical steps taken to ensure the successful holding of the meeting.

The Heads of State and Government agreed to remain seized of this matter.