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Church Leaders in DR Congo “strongly condemn” Violence Following General Elections

The headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) in DRC. Credit: CENI

Members of the National Episcopal Conference of Congo (CENCO) and the Church of Christ in Congo (ECC) have “strongly condemned” cases of violence recorded in the country following the 20 December 2023 general elections.

On December 31, the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) declared President Félix Tshisekedi winner of the Presidential poll with 73 percent of the vote as opposed to 18 percent that his main rival, Martin Fayulu, garnered. 

Several opposition parties have reportedly condemned the results as a “sham”, demanding a rerun. Earlier this week, clashes erupted between some of Fayulu’s supporters and police officers who fired tear gas at protesters.

In a statement issued Thursday, January 4, CENCO-ECC members urged Congolese to “remain united and vigilant in the fight against anti-values, wherever they may come from.”

“We strongly condemn the violence, both verbal and physical, observed throughout this process,” the Church leaders said.

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They added, “We encourage all stakeholders to resort to peaceful means for all kinds of demands.”

“We ask the Attorney General of the Republic, in his capacity as guarantor of public action, to initiate legal proceedings against all perpetrators of acts of electoral violation and fraud,” CENCO-ECC members said in their statement.

They urged CENI to “honor its commitment to the nation to publish the provisional results in accordance with Article 71 of the Electoral Law, in particular, polling station by polling station.”

The final results are expected on January 10, and the president is scheduled to be sworn in on January 20.

In their two-page statement, Church leaders in DR Congo deplored the fact that the “electoral process has seen several cases of violation of the legal framework of the electoral administration.”

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They called on CENI to “shed light on all the cases documented by the various stakeholders”, adding that “an independent and joint commission of enquiry is needed.”

“The acceptance of the results at each level of the polls also depends on this clarification,” CENCO-ECC members said.

They asked the Public Prosecutor at the Constitutional Court to “take up on his own initiative any denunciation relating to irregularities in order to bring the high jurisdiction of electoral sincerity to rule on the law and restore the pride of our Republic.”

Jude Atemanke is a Cameroonian journalist with a passion for Catholic Church communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of Buea in Cameroon. Currently, Jude serves as a journalist for ACI Africa.