Congo’s ‘new’ government is anything but

An open-air market in Kinshasa, DRC

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The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on Monday announced a new government, eight months after opposition leader Félix Tshisekedi was declared the winner of a landmark presidential election.

Three quarters of cabinet members are first-timers – but what should be the culmination of the mineral-rich country’s first democratic power transfer is really the rubber stamping of an apparent backroom deal between Tshisekedi and his predecessor Joseph Kabila.

The ‘coalition’ government follows months of negotiations between their respective parties, and sees the latter’s Common Front for Congo (FCC) take control of almost two-thirds of cabinet posts. This includes the office of the prime minister, and the mining ministry.

It’s a big win for Kabila, who has seamlessly gone from pariah and obstacle to progress, to valued partner in a democratic government. International criticism of his rule – defined by a legacy of cronyism and mismanagement – has given way to indifference. Having hinted at plans to contest the presidency again in 2023, the stage is set for business as usual.

Bad news for Africa’s fourth most populous nation, which is estimated to be sitting on $24 trillion of largely untapped mineral wealth, but remains one of the world’s least developed countries.

None of this should come as a surprise – the outcome has been obvious for months – but it should be met with disappointment.

This report reflects the views of the author alone, not those of How we made it in Africa.


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