KINSHASA: Democratic Republic of Congo's President Felix Tshisekedi was sworn in for a second five-year term on Saturday after a landslide victory his opponents have refused to recognise due to widespread irregularities in the December general election.
With tensions simmering in the vast nation's volatile eastern provinces, the 60-year-old president known as "Fatshi" picked Kinshasa's 80,000-capacity Martyrs sports stadium for the ceremony.
The stands were packed well before midday with singing and dancing in full flow awaiting the arrival of what the authorities said would be some 20 invited heads of African states.
Tshisekedi's first swearing-in, in January 2019, after controversially defeating Joseph Kabila, took place in the gardens of the Palace of Nations, a solemn venue that has traditionally staged important official events.
Tshisekedi is the son of the late historic opposition figure Etienne Tshisekedi.
He became president promising to improve living conditions in the DRC -- which boasts mineral riches but has a largely impoverished population of 100 million -- and put an end to 25 years of bloodshed in the east.
He has not kept those promises but this time around he campaigned strongly on his first-term achievements such as free primary medication, asking for another mandate to "consolidate" the progress.
More than 40 million people were registered to vote on December 20 for a president, as well as national and regional lawmakers and municipal councillors.
In the general election, the vote has been annulled for 82 candidates -- including three government ministers and four provincial governors.
Polling was officially extended by a day to account for multiple logistical snarls and continued for days afterwards in remote areas.
In the end, Tshisekedi officially triumphed with 73.47 per cent of the vote.
There was a lull in fighting in the east during the elections but violence has since resumed between the army and M23 rebels, backed by neighbouring Rwanda.
Since mid-December troops from the 10-nation Southern African Development Community (SADC) have been discreetly arriving in the DRC.
They are taking over from an East African peacekeeping force whose mandate was ended by the DRC government, which alleged it colluded with the rebels instead of fighting them.
The electoral commission has repeatedly rejected allegations of fraud.
Police dispersed a small protest in Kinshasa against the provisional results of the legislative election. — Agencies
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