More than forty delegations, with at least twenty heads of state and government, are expected to attend the inauguration of President Félix Tshisekedi on January 20, as he is re-elected for a second term in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The Congolese Press Agency (ACP) announces that "the Congolese presidency refrains from making the list of guests for President Tshisekedi's inauguration public." However, the ACP has been able to compile a list of potential guests according to official sources from the Foreign Affairs and Congolese Presidency. At least forty invitations have been sent to guests from the DRC, according to official sources from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Congolese presidency, estimates the media, which expects the number of attending heads of state to be more than twenty.
"Up until the last minute, late Wednesday night, the presence of heads of state from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries is confirmed," assures the Congolese agency.
There are a total of 15 heads of state from these countries. East African Community countries have also tentatively agreed to be represented at the summit by their respective heads of state, the same source continues.
Central African neighbors, including President Denis Sassou Nguesso, have agreed to travel to the Stade des Martyrs in Kinshasa on January 20. The President of Senegal and Togolese Faure Gnassigbé are almost certain to make the trip to Kinshasa, according to the Congolese agency, as reported by the ACP.
The Agency also informs that U.S. President Joe Biden has designated a strong delegation to attend the inauguration of re-elected Félix Tshisekedi following the elections held on December 20 last year.
The presidential election took place simultaneously with legislative, provincial, and local elections, a quadruple poll that began as planned on December 20 but, due to numerous logistical problems, extended over several days.
The results of the presidential election were announced on December 31 by the electoral commission (CENI) and confirmed on January 9 by the Constitutional Court.
According to the final results, President Tshisekedi, in power since January 2019, received 73.47% of the votes. Félix Tshisekedi is followed by former Katanga governor (southeast) Moïse Katumbi, who received 18.08% of the votes (unchanged), and another opposition figure, Martin Fayulu, who obtained 4.92%.
