DR Congo’s President elect Felix Tshisekedi was yesterday sworn in as the country’s President amidst protests from opposition candidate Martin Fayulu alongside his supporters.
The much hyped inauguration ceremony did not have an African outlook as out of the 17 Presidents invited to the event, only Kenya’s Uhuru Kenyatta graced the occasion.
Details have now emerged of how Uhuru and Raila Odinga held behind-the-scenes lobbying for the region to accept Felix Tshisekedi’s election as president.
Raila and Uhuru played a key role in convincing the East African Community as well as SADC to recognise Tshesekedi’s disputed election victory.
President Uhuru and the ODM leader made high-level continental and regional interventions including placing calls to compel heads of state to accept the son of veteran opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi be installed as the next president.
“It is definitely clear that Kenya had interests in the Congolese elections and was keen to have Tshesekedi installed as Congolese President. That was clear even from the delegation led by the President himself,”
Earlier, the African Union, had expressed reservations on Congo’s presidential election results and called on the Congolese Electoral Commission to delay announcing the December 30 polls.
The Southern African Development Community (SADC), headed by Zambian President Edgar Lungu, had called for a recount in Congo and proposed that the DRC considers forming a government of national unity.
However, following Uhuru and Raila’s shuttle diplomacy, Tshisekedi was yesterday installed to succeed retired President Joseph Kabila as the Congolese leader.