In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), there is a dichotomy between what is right and what is appropriate. Forty-eight hours after the publication of the preliminary results of the December 20 presidential election and the announcement of the re-election of Félix Tshisekedi 73% supporta tense calm permeates the geography of the African giant. The exception is the protests that took place in the city of Goma in the hours before the results were announcedand also in Likasi after the announcement of Tshisekedi's victory, both without any serious injuries being reported, the rest of the country seems to have accepted its fate for the next four years with a mixture of joy and resignation.
Proof of this were the celebrations that took place in the state capital, Kinshasa, but also in other important cities such as Lumumbashi (capital of Katanga Province). Celebrations that went beyond the aforementioned signs of discontent.
Although few doubt that the elections were fraudulent. The President used state resources to travel around the country (he was the candidate who visited the most cities), an indefinite number of places could due to the inaccessibility of the areas besieged by the various conflicts that litter the area , don't vote, and it was recorded In the days that followed, there were ballot box thefts in rural areas, including arrests. Added to this are the ongoing attacks by Tshisekedi's supporters against those who showed their support for other candidates throughout election day and in the days leading up to the elections. The right thing, as the opposition has stressed in recent weeks, would be a repeat election. The candidate said this last week Moise Katumbi who concluded election day with one18% of the votesbut also Joseph Kabila, former President of the Democratic Republic of Congo, when he released a statement calling on the Congolese people to regain the sovereignty taken away by Tshisekedi.
Michel is a merchant from the city of Goma who recognizes this fraud but points out what he considers appropriate in the current situation: “Our country is at war with Rwanda, that's how it is, and Rwanda is trying to force us through this common “To divide elections” with his Western allies (…) who don’t like Tshisekedi, we all know that. We Congolese must be united and support our president beyond foreign interests“.
The increased interest in raw materials from the Democratic Republic of Congo makes every electoral process a key event on the international level. Less than 24 hours had passed since Tshisekedi's victory was announced when Paul Kagame, President of Rwanda and financier (according to the United Nations), the guerrilla group M23 The company, which operates in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, publicly stated that “when we hear of those who are planning to attack and destroy Rwanda's security, the question arises: Is there something they have not seen?” We have We have experienced destruction, we have reached our lowest point. It is those who wish us harm who will experience it in our place.” Kagame is reacting to Tshisekedi’s statements on December 18th. The Congolese president, who in recent weeks had compared Kagame to Hitler, then said that if he won the elections, “I will instruct Parliament to declare war on Rwanda”.
This shows an important difference between Tshisekedi and the majority of candidates, including Katumbi, who spoke out in favor of negotiations with the M23 and thus also with Rwanda during the election campaign. With Tshisekedi not officially recognizing his victory (with a stronger reaction expected from the opposition), Martin Fayulu has been the only major candidate to openly oppose the results so far, which has not been the case. He achieved 6% of the vote: in a message posted on his to protect against this new coup.” holds the head of state responsible as the guarantor of national unity and respect for the constitution.
Today there is a tense calm in the Democratic Republic of Congo, torn between what is right and what is appropriate, between the threatening statements of the opposition rejecting the results and the resigned patriotism expressed by citizens like Michel represented. After election day, after the votes are counted, the political tensions continue, the floods, ethnic massacres and the shadow of Rwanda and the M23, which the president will have to face if he wants to remain in office for the years corresponding to him.