Congo: Protesters, police clash as instability grows in east

The results of Congo's presidential and legislative elections from December 20 have yet to be finalized, but much of the country is preparing for the likely outcome of a second term for incumbent President Felix Tshisekedi.

While some appear to have accepted the development with calm, others have rejected preliminary results, leading to scenes of anger and distress across the central African country.

Calm after chaos in Kinshasa

On Wednesday, several protesters were wounded after police fired tear gas to disperse a protest held by opposition supporters in the capital, Kinshasa. They were calling for a rerun of last week's presidential and legislative elections.

The protesters were reportedly mainly supporters of opposition politician Martin Fayulu, who had gathered in front of his party's headquarters. Their main objection was the fact that following delays in opening voting stations, the election had been extended — in violation of the country's constitution.

In some areas, voting stations were reported to have been open four days after the intended polling date, as election kit deliveries suffered delays, voting equipment was reported to be malfunctioning and voting registers were said to display a lack of organization.

But government spokesman Patrick Muyaya said that these demonstrations had been banned regardless of their motivation, adding that this was why police were taking the necessary security measures. 

Meanwhile, young protesters were seen setting tires alight in a bid to make their voices heard.

DW correspondent Paul Lorgerie said the mood in Kinshasa turned somewhat more peaceful later, as news of preliminary results declaring Tshisekedi as the winner started to make the rounds.

Troops deployed in Lubumbashi

Earlier this week in the southeastern city of Lubumbashi, there had been an "unusual" deployment of government troops advancing in a single file, according to DW correspondent Lilas Nyota.

This display of military might "is worrying the population, who are awaiting the final results of the December 20 elections," Nyota said, describing the deployment as a "spectacular" sight and a "surprise" for many residents.

Interior Minister Peter Kazadi arrived in Lubumbashi on Tuesday to justify this arrival of reinforcements, saying that in such "less-secure areas" there could be threats to national security. 

This comes after opposition leader Fayulu called on his supporters to march to the provincial offices of the National Independent Electoral Commission (CENI).

Kazadi, however, added that the government had banned protests in Lubumbashi as well, as these were aimed at "harming the electoral process." He said the opposition should wait for the full results to be published rather than taking to protests.

New insurgency in Congo's east

Fears are mounting that if Tshisekedi does indeed win the election, as is predicted, there could be a revival of the rebellion against the government in the country's east by the March 23 (M23) movement and other groups.

The beleaguered city of Goma would then be in danger of being overrun by rebels, according to DW's Ruth Alonga, who has reported from the region.

To make matters worse, the rise of a new insurgency in the area by the so-called Congo River Alliance could further embolden other rebel groups.

Furthermore, the withdrawal of troops from the East African Community has fanned fears among Goma residents that "the troops withdrew to avoid dealing with post-electoral violence," Alonga added.

Tshisekedi well ahead in early results

CENI has released provisional election results in recent days. The latest tally has put Tshisekedi well ahead of his 18 challengers, with around 77% of the 9.3 million votes counted so far.

His biggest challengers, businessman Moise Katumbi and former energy executive Fayulu, were second and third in the run, respectively with about 15% and 3% of the vote.

The commission has not disclosed how many of the approximately 44 million registered voters cast their ballots, nor given any indication of what the latest figure represents to the total number of votes cast.

Protesters criticize CENI decision to extend voting

Election-related tensions are common in Congo, which has a long history of authoritarian rule and violent government overthrows. The archbishop of Kinshasa compared the latest vote to previous power struggles, describing it as a "gigantic organized mess," as reported by the AFP news agency.

Such disputes tend to fuel unrest in Congo and risk further destabilization in Africa's second-largest country, which is a major cobalt and copper producer plagued by widespread poverty and insecurity in its eastern region.

Protest organizers have heavily criticized CENI's decision to extend voting at polling stations that had failed to open on election day, calling the move unconstitutional and demanding a full election rerun.

Some independent observers have also said the extension compromised the credibility of the vote.

CENI has meanwhile acknowledged that there were certain delays on December 20, but denied that the credibility of the election had been compromised by extending some of the voting.

Opposition aims to redo 'sham' vote

Five opposition presidential candidates have announced that they intend to seek legal ways to protest what they described as a "sham" election.

"We will protest against the irregularities observed during voting," they wrote in a letter to the governor of Kinshasa, Gentiny Ngobila Mbaka, which was posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

The opposition leaders who signed the letter include Fayulu, who claimed he won the last presidential election in 2018, and Denis Mukwege, the Nobel Peace Prize winner recognized for his work with victims of wartime sexual violence.

Dozens of civil society groups and other presidential candidates also joined the call "demanding the annulment" of the elections. They say the extension of the vote over several days had "encouraged widespread fraud," adding they would join protests regardless of bans.

"You cannot threaten or traumatize a population that wants to march peacefully," said Mino Bopomi from the citizens' movement Filimbi, speaking with AFP.

Paul Lorgerie, Lilas Nyota, and Ruth Alonga contributed to this report.

Edited by: Okeri Ngutjinazo