Today Monday 19th is supposed to be the last day of Joseph Kabila’s 15-year presidency. Instead, as the leader of Congo refuses to step down, The Democratic Republic of Congo is lurching toward a bloody political crisis.
Moise Katumbi, the most popular politician in the Democratic Republic of the Congo according to recent polls, has called on the president, Joseph Kabila, to stand down within 24 hours to avoid chaos and bloodshed.
“The military are of the people of Congo. They do not work for one person. Their suffering is the suffering of the people,” Katumbi said.
In September, more than 60 people died when security forces opened fire on an opposition march calling for Kabila to step down. At least four policemen were lynched. Opposition leaders in the DRC have said they would not call for mass demonstrations on Monday, but would let “the people express their anger” instead.
Hundreds of people have gathered in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s capital, defying a ban on protests against the president’s plans to stay in office past the end of his term on Monday.
Security forces blocked access to Kinshasa University, facing off against groups waving red cards telling President Joseph Kabila to go, as time ticked down to the official close of his mandate at midnight.
Shops shut in other parts of the city, where streets were mostly empty. Militia fighters raided a jail in the eastern Congo city of Butembo in a bid to free prisoners, triggering clashes that killed at least six people, a security source said.
“They want to take advantage of the day,” activist Fabrice Kakubuzi told Reuters.
Opposition activists have accused Kabila of trying to cling to power by letting his term run out without an election in place to choose a successor.
“Kabila’s mandate finishes at 11:59 … Tomorrow (Tuesday) it will be chaos,” said Hugue Ilunga, a 21-year-old mechanics student, as dozens of soldiers deployed nearby in the capital, an opposition stronghold of 12 million people.
The government and elections officials have blamed logistical and financial problems for the delay in the vote, currently scheduled for April 2018.
Some opposition leaders have agreed Kabila can remain in office until that date. The constitutional court has also ruled that Kabila, leader since his father was assassinated in 2001, can stay on.
But the main opposition bloc rejects the deal as a ploy, though it said it would not call protests. Talks mediated by the Catholic church failed to reach a compromise.
The government has blocked most social media and outlawed protests in Kinshasa, raising fears of more violence in a nation that has been plagued by war and instability for two decades since the fall of kleptocrat Mobutu Sese Seko. Congo has not seen a peaceful transfer of power since independence in 1960.
Diplomats fear any escalation of the violence could trigger a conflict like the 1996 to 2003 wars that killed millions, sucked in neighboring armies and saw armed groups clash over Congo’s mineral wealth and use mass rape as a strategic weapon.
U.S. Great Lakes envoy Tom Perriello on Thursday called Kabila’s hanging on “an entirely unnecessary flirtation with disaster” in a speech at the United States Institute of Peace.
Ukooo!!! balibelela let them continue fighting, politicians are useless why should he hold on to power, Africa awee sure
Typical of African leaders……. Coming back here Chagwa is busy pushing for a 7year term.
LORD HAVE MERCY 4 YOUR PEOPLE
This Kabila is such a greedy man, he has corruptly fattened himself to the point where is a among the richest in Africa..meanwhile his people suffer…oh I cry for Lumumba’s country, such a mineral resource country suffering like this, is it a curse for it to have such. Where are talkshop AU ****?
@jay jay lumumba was from congo brazzaville not congo dr mulebelenga,anyhow kabila was a promising unifier of zaire now i fear rumours of his involvement in the killing of his dad hold some water,as the saying goes absolute power corrupts absolutely and thats the tale of africa
..@patrotic…are you real…I can see you have access to internet but you just a very lazy ‘bunkum’
@ patriotic – It’s out of ignorance that a goat will attend a leopard’s party….I urge you to study about self before you attempt to lecture others..its paramount you do this Asap. Make use on knowledge at your finger tips.
Wake Up!!
@ Patriotic! What is wrong with you? Who told you that Lumumba was from Congo Brazaville? Don’t embarrass yourself like that. For your information, Patrice Lumumba was born in Kasai Province of Zaire in a village called Onalua. He was the first Prime Minister of Zaire presently Congo DR…….these facts are there to read on!
@mun…..pwe….my hisyory is hazy my bad to jay jay as well last time i read about lumumba must have been in grade 7 haha thanks for re educating me
So you have never read anything about your brothers since but you know all about white Jesus…really sad!!
The young man could have been a hero if he had stepped down now he is just messing up his life, continue waiting for Trump here he come on 20 Jan 2017.
no need to call each other names i acknowledged my ignorant comment lets move on already
Let them exterminate themselves. Meanwhile more jobs in the UN refugee agencies
I used love Joseph Kabila but he’s disappointing me. He’s messing up his life now, where will be his source of happiness once his country is plunged into cheos? Zaireans really love human blood.
Joseph is not even Congolese, he is from Rwanda. He is Hutu. Congo People deserve better, if I was Zambian president, I would deploy the Zambian Army to take out Joseph Kabila, at this age in time, Zambia needs to do more in helping out our neighbors but corrupt Chagwa is planning on a similar scheme, so he won’t do anything, but learn more from Joseph on how to be a dictator and cause more bloodshed.
@7.1 If you were president of Zambia, you would be plotting your own extended stay from 5-7years.
You would also be busy globetrotting and when around Zambia just loitering and eating Mangos in public.
To start with, LT together with the judiciary, cling to the truth to who won the 2016 Presidential election if you want Zambia to be spared to the wind of anarchy which swept north Africa countries and middle. Dig deep down to know who Ecl himself knows was the winner in the 2016 presidential election.
@ Patriotic! Please do not comment on politics if you do not know the basics! Lumumba was from DRC.
Kabila is just trying to take advantage of the weak institutions which he knows would even make it harder for his successor hence the inevitable fears of civil strife.the constitution, if any is too weak to effectively support a democratic transition for a country of DRC magnitude
Kabila needs to be taken out his fathers way. A gun has a job to do in history of mankind.
AFRICAN LEADERS AT IT AGAIN.WHEN DONALD TRUMP CALLS THEM HYENAS, CAN BE SUPPORTED TO SOME EXTENT.
THAT IS WHY THEY ARE LEAVING ICC FOR FEAR OF PROSECUTION.
DONALD TRUMP IS SPOT ON WHEN HE SAYS THESE AFRICAN LEADERS ARE THIEVES AND CRIMINALS AND THEY DON’T KNOW ANY THING ABOUT LEADERSHIP.
AFRICA TWASEBANA.
Lumumba is from DRC .let’s God help our nebour please .