Rwanda’s Paul Kagame, Somalia’s Hassan Shiekh Mohamud and South Sudan’s Salva Kiir remain mum as other East Africa’s Heads of states congratulate their counterpart Felix Tshisekedi who was announced winner of the December 20 elections in a landslide victory of 73% of the vote.
The 60 year old Tshisekedi was declared winner amidst protests from opposition who have vowed to challenge the electoral results. Tshisekedi will now lead the vast war torn country for the next 5 years.
Kenya’s Wlliam Ruto, Tanzania’s Samia Suluhu Hassan, Burundi’s Evariste Ndayishimiye and Uganda’s Museveni have already sent their congratulatory messages, as has the East African Community Secretary General Peter Mutuku Mathuki on behalf of the bloc’s secretariat.
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Burundi’s president Ndayishimiye was the first of the regional leaders to congratulate their DRC counterpart followed by Tanzania’s Samia Suluhu Hassan and Ruto and Museveni who have sent the congratulatory messages this evening.
Rwanda, South Sudan share the boarder with DRC but presidents Kagame and Salva Kiir (all military Generals) remain silent on congratulating their Congolese counterpart who brought Africa’s largest country to the East African Community block in March 2022 becoming the 7th member of the bloc.
The body’s aim is to strengthen ties between member states through a common market, a common customs tariff, and a range of public services to a chief balanced economic growth with the region. The bloc just got it’s 8th member State which is Somalia which joined in December 2023.
The bloc is an intergovernmental organization comprising of eight partner states Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda with it’s headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania. The founding member states are Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania then under Mwalimu Julius Nyerere.
Having joined the bloc in March 2022 but it’s yet to fully assent to all of the bloc’s relevant protocols. Delays to relay congratulatory messages to Tshisekedi by some members serve to further expose the icy relations within the EAC.
The East African Community sent a combined regional army to bring peace to the war torn Eastern part of Congo as the M23 rebel group threatened serious fighting and continue to fight leading to an influx of refugees in the neighboring countries. However, the blocs regional army was ordered out by president Felix Tshisekedi.
There has been heightened tensions between Congo and Rwanda and often times Kagame and Tshisekedi have always thrown jibes and tantrums at each other with the newly elected president threatening that attacking Rwanda is eminent and accuses Rwanda of supporting the m23 rebels that has held the Eastern part of Congo at ransom.
After sending away the East African Community combined force, DRC is now counting on another regional force from the South where it’s a member. A combined regional force from the Southern Africa Development Community has already deployed in Eastern Congo and will soon start facing the M23 rebels in battles soon.
The East African Community like it did in Kenya in the recently concluded elections that brought Ruto into power, did not send election observers to DRC after Kinshasa denied them accreditation.
“This development is due to the fact that although EAC was ready, the request to undertake the exercise has not been granted by the relevant authorities”- the bloc said in a statement on December 19.
On December 17, Kinshasa recalled it’s envoy in Arusha Pierre Masala and it’s envoy in Nairobi, John Nyakeru in protest of a meeting of rebel leaders held in Kenya’s capital Nairobi. The meeting was held to purportedly form a coalition to unseat President Tshisekedi in the just concluded polls. Kenya distanced itself from the meeting with President Ruto revealing that he refused a plea from Kinshasa to arrest the rebels.
The EAC warmly congratulates H.E Félix Tshisekedi on re-election as the President of the DRC as announced by @cenirdc.@jumuiya looks forward to Your Excellency’s continued commitment to enhancing regional cooperation for the good of our people.@pmathuki @Presidence_RDC pic.twitter.com/eaMtrj4MBm
— East African Community (@jumuiya) January 1, 2024
Sincere congratulations to my brother His Excellency Felix Tshisekedi, the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, for a well-deserved victory. The election is a milestone in the democratic history of your nation. I look forward to strengthening the Kenya-DRC relations… pic.twitter.com/uHkfKkIHDp
— William Samoei Ruto, PhD (@WilliamsRuto) January 1, 2024
Je félicite vivement mon Homologue et Frère S.E Félix Antoine Tshisekedi pour sa réélection à la tête de la #RDC suite à la publication des résultats provisoires. En cas d'eventuel contentieux électoral, je forme le vœu d’une résolution pacifique à travers les canaux légaux. pic.twitter.com/cIYH9WG9f1
— SE Evariste Ndayishimiye (@GeneralNeva) December 31, 2023
Heartfelt congratulations to His Excellency, President Félix Tshisekedi on being re-elected as the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. I am looking forward to continuing working together in fostering the relations between our two countries and our @Jumuiya. pic.twitter.com/ywyw6IZEkD
— Samia Suluhu (@SuluhuSamia) December 31, 2023
Fellow Ugandans and, the fraternal people of the Democratic Republic of Congo;
I take this opportunity, on behalf of the Ugandans, to congratulate H.E Felix Tshisekedi on winning the electoral contest in Congo, as announced by the Electoral Commission.
H.E Tshisekedi has… pic.twitter.com/y8TWRy53FD
— Yoweri K Museveni (@KagutaMuseveni) January 1, 2024
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