President Felix Tshisekedi’s victory in the December 20th ballot has stirred controversy as his primary opponents contested the results. With provisional figures indicating a commanding win of 73.3%, according to the country’s electoral commission (CENI), Tshisekedi’s second term unfolds against the backdrop of political discord. The election, marking the fourth since the Democratic Republic of Congo’s shift to multi-party democracy in 2006, reflects a complex history of dictatorship and conflict in a nation rich in resources but plagued by poverty. Tshisekedi, at 60, pledges transformative changes in his second term, emphasizing a “new climate economy” that harnesses the nation’s vast green-energy mineral deposits, hydropower potential, and the second-largest tropical forest globally—a crucial defense against climate change.
In a decisive triumph during the December 20th ballot, President Felix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of Congo secured a second five-year term, a victory that was largely contested by his primary opponents.
Provisional results, disclosed on Sunday by the country’s electoral commission (CENI), revealed Tshisekedi’s resounding win with an impressive 73.3% of the cast votes. In the second position was Moise Katumbi, a prominent businessman and owner of a soccer team, securing approximately 18.1% of the votes.
This election marks the fourth since Congo’s transition to a multi-party democracy in 2006, following years of dictatorship and conflict that transformed the nation, abundant in resources, into one of the world’s most impoverished countries.
President Tshisekedi, aged 60, has articulated a commitment to instigate significant changes during his second term, focusing on fostering a “new climate economy.” The Democratic Republic of Congo boasts substantial deposits of crucial green-energy minerals such as copper and cobalt, immense hydropower potential, and is home to the world’s second-largest tropical forest—a vital defense against climate change.
