Police in the Democratic Republic of Congo have clashed with opposition supporters who are demanding the annulment of last week’s presidential election. The leading opposition candidates have denounced the election as a sham and are calling for a rerun.
The clashes took place in the capital, Kinshasa, where several people were wounded as police fired tear gas and protesters responded by throwing stones.
The government had banned the protest, citing its unwillingness to tolerate any attempts to undermine the electoral process.
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Election officials have not yet provided the exact number of polling stations that opened or the total voter turnout for the December 20th election, in which approximately 44 million people were registered to vote at around 75,000 polling stations.
With just over nine million ballots counted so far, President Felix Tshisekedi is leading with almost 80% of the vote as he seeks a second term. Moïse Katumbi, a football tycoon and mining magnate, is trailing behind with approximately 16% of the vote.
Martin Fayulu, a former oil executive who claims he was robbed of victory in the 2018 election, is in third place with around 4%.
Supporters of Mr. Fayulu staged protests outside his campaign headquarters in Kinshasa, burning tires and clashing with the police. The police took up positions on key roads in the city to prevent a march towards the headquarters of the electoral commission.
Mr. Fayulu reported that 11 of his supporters were injured, while the police reported two injuries on their side. The election was marred by logistical delays and administrative chaos, resulting in voting being extended to a second day in some parts of the country.
The opposition has accused the electoral commission of orchestrating fraud and ballot stuffing to ensure Mr. Tshisekedi’s victory. However, the commission has denied these allegations.
The Democratic Republic of Congo, which is roughly four times the size of France, faces significant challenges in terms of infrastructure. Even some major cities are not connected by road. Additionally, about two-thirds of the country’s 100 million population live below the poverty line, earning $2.15 (£1.70) or less per day.
In addition to the presidential election, voters also chose parliamentary, provincial, and municipal representatives from approximately 100,000 candidates. However, elections were not held in parts of the eastern region due to security concerns.
This region is home to a significant portion of the country’s vast mineral wealth, including extensive reserves of cobalt, which is a crucial component of many lithium batteries and is seen as essential for a future free of fossil fuels.
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