Sit-tight leadership is not an uncommon phenomenon in Africa. For this reason, transition of power is usually characterised by conflict and the on-going election delay in DR Congo is no different.
Earlier in the year, the Minister of Budget of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Pierre Kangudia attributed the delays to lack of funds as he announced that the country needed approximately $1.8 billion to successfully run the elections this year as opposed to the $1 billion previously used in the 2011 elections. However, this claim is rather misleading as other reports revealed that DR Congo with a population of over 77 million rakes in a substantial amount in terms of taxes and revenues.
President Joseph Kabila’s constitutionally mandated two-terms ended in December 2016 amid political tensions, repression and bloodshed. Contrary to the main tenets of the purported New Year’s Eve agreement – which sets out how a transition would be managed until elections are held before the end of December 2017 – Kabila’s ruling alliance has appointed a new government that excludes members of the main opposition coalition. Sadly, this act reveals that the oversight council is yet to be appointed, there is still no electoral calendar, and the “confidence building measures” outlined in the agreement have not been implemented.
However DRC strong man, Kabila has refused to accept the end of his tenure but has – like every other African nation inclining towards dictatorship – ordered the arrest and detainment of anyone who comes across as a form of opposition. The obvious scheme to thwart opposition members from taking part in the democratic process raises serious uncertainties about the government’s compliance to hold transparent and fair elections.
As a result of this, various security concerns have risen throughout the Central African nation which is once again open for invasion. But the self-imposed government of President Kabila is yet to release an official statement as regards the increase in crime, violence and repression.
Barely six months to the supposed transition of democratic power; over 3,300 people have died including women and children. The United Nations called for an international investigation after a report by the Human rights watch including graphic images of babies with machete scars and injured pregnant women were released over the week.
This higher death toll was recorded after the U.N. human rights chief faulted Congo’s government for failing to protect civilians, citing “harrowing” reports from U.N. rights experts deployed this month to interview people displaced by the fighting between government forces and militia members.
“My team saw children as young as 2 whose limbs had been chopped off; many babies had machete wounds and severe burns,”said Mr Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein in his report to the U.N. Human Rights Council.
Prior to this investigation, the European Union and United States imposed new targeted sanctions against top Congolese officials, sending a clear message that there are consequences for the ongoing repression and election delays.
The European Parliament also evaluated the crisis with a new resolution on June 14, denouncing the “continuous cycles of conflict and brutal political repression” and strongly regretting “the delays in organizing the next presidential and legislative elections” in Congo and the “lack of progress” in implementing the New Year’s Eve agreement. The parliament called “for further investigations of, and sanctions to be extended against, the persons responsible, at the highest level of government, for the violence and crimes” committed in DR Congo.
