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EXPERT COMMENT

But the system remains deeply flawed, with the country’s enormous wealth controlled by a tiny elite.

Provisional results have been announced for the 2023 elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), indicating victory for incumbent Felix Tshisekedi. He sits on 73 per cent of the vote with 85 per cent of votes tallied.

His closest challenger, Moise Katumbi, is on 18 per cent. Barring a successful legal challenge, Tshisekedi’s second mandate will be confirmed when the final results are released in mid-January, making him president until 2028.

A Tshisekedi victory was widely predicted – he had the backing of some of the DRC’s political heavyweights, bringing votes from many corners of the country’s fractured electoral mosaic, and faced a divided opposition that proved unable to unite behind a single candidate.

Though Tshisekedi did not deliver fundamental change during his first term, his promise of free primary education was well received, as were efforts to renegotiate mining contracts signed under his predecessor. His militant stand against Rwanda-backed M23 rebels in the East of the country is also likely to have played well with a war-weary public.

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