The World Council of Churches has called for a peaceful and democratic transition of power in the Democratic Republic of Congo following its 30th December presidential election.
The nation’s electoral commission last week announced opposition candidate Felix Tshisekedi had won the election but there have seen been claims from the runner-up, Martin Fayulu, that he won and that Tshiskedi had struck a deal with outgoing President Joseph Kabila to take power – claims which Tshisekedi and Kabila have denied. The nation’s Catholic Church has also raised doubts about the result saying the results released by the electoral commission didn’t tally with those compiled by its monitors.
In a statement issued late last week, Rev Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, WCC general secretary, said the election, which came as President Kabila stepped down after 18 years in office, was a “pivotal moment in the history of the DRC”.
“If confirmed and if no violent unrest ensues, it will be the first since the DRC’s independence [from Belgium] in 1960,” he said.
Noting that the Eglise du Christ au Congo and WCC member churches in the country took an active part in election monitoring and that collectively the Roman Catholic Church and the ECC fielded a huge number of election monitors, Tveit said the WCC and member churches were praying that “together the churches will help guide the country on the path of peace, justice and democracy, and away from violence, division and instability.”
“Although some political figures have already denounced the electoral results, together with the All Africa Conference of Churches we appeal for any disputes regarding the outcome to be addressed peacefully through the established legal and constitutional processes.”
The WCC has also called on the international community to ensure respect for the sovereignty of the DRC and its electoral process, and to support the country towards peace and justice.
“The people of the DRC have suffered terribly from violence, instability, corruption and injustice in the past,” said Tveit. “This is an opportunity to definitively turn the page on that past history, and to set a new course for the country and the region.”
