DRC Presidential Election Attracting Crowds Despite Conflict

The Democratic Republic of Congo’s presidential election on December 20 is attracting crowds in the eastern region, despite armed conflict and fears of violence.

The candidates are holding popular rallies in the main squares, with 44 million registered voters out of a population of 100 million expected to elect their president, national and provincial deputies, and municipal councilors.

Moïse Katumbi, one of the 23 running candidates, is the first to travel to Goma, capital of North Kivu, the epicenter of repeated violence and humanitarian crises.

Former governor of the renowned Tout Puissant Mazembe soccer club and former governor of the mining province of Katanga, Mr. Katumbi, criticizes the security record of the outgoing president, Félix Tshisekedi, in the face of the M23 rebellion.

Denis Mukwege, the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize winner and presidential candidate, launched his campaign in Bukavu, South Kivu, promising to fight corruption and put an end to war and famine.

In Beni, a stronghold of the ADF rebels, the campaign is taking place in a particularly tense political and security context. Martin Fayulu, the unsuccessful candidate in the 2018 presidential election, is also crisscrossing the region, calling on the population to “block the road” to Tshisekedi, who is accused of playing into the hands of the aggressors.