Kagame, AU postpone visit as DRC insists on sovereignty
A high level delegation from the African Union, headed by chairperson and Rwanda President Paul Kagame, to the Democratic Republic of Congo has been postponed indefinitely.
During a meeting to discuss the DRC election outcome in Ethiopian Capital, Addis Ababa, African Heads of State and Government agreed to urgently dispatch to the DRC a high-level delegation comprising the Chairperson of the Union and other Heads of State and Government, as well as the Chairperson of the AU Commission, to interact with all Congolese stakeholders, with the view to reaching a consensus on a way out of the post-electoral crisis in the country.
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The group also directed the DRC commission in charge of elections to suspend any proclamations of final results.
However, in reply, the Congolese government spokesperson Lambert Mende said they cannot take lectures from anyone about what to do in their own country, going ahead to declare Felix Tshisekedi dully elected.
In a turn around of sorts, now the AU and President Kagame have indicated they will not travel to DRC.
“It should be noted that the visit of the high-level delegation to Kinshasha on 21 January 2019 has been postponed,” a statement from AU’s head quarters reads in part.
The statement however does not pronounce another date at which the delegation will head to DRC yet the inauguration of Tshisekedi looms and Opposition candidate Martin Fayulu claims victory.
The commission instead calls upon all those concerned to work for the preservation of peace and stability and the promotion of national harmony.
Meanwhile, the swearing-in of the newly-elected president of DR Congo, Felix Tshisekedi, may be postponed by two days until Thursday, a source in his coalition said Monday.
