DRC: Heightened tension as loser calls on supporters to ‘rise up’

Hours after the runner-up in the just concluded presidential election in the Democratic Republic of Congo vowed to challenge the outcome of the poll in court, his camp has declared that he defeated the official winner of the election.

According to members of Martin Fayulu camp, their candidate in fact thrashed the official winner with more than 60 percent of votes.

“When you know you are in the right, you are not allowed to remain home,” Fayulu said, urging supporters to “rise up”.

This call has invariably heightened the tension that has been evident since the polls held and the results were delayed before the winner was finally announced.

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Fayulu’s camp said it would take its case on Saturday morning to Congo’s highest court.

“We know the Constitutional Court is composed by Kabila’s people, but we do not want to give any chance to Kabila and his team to say…you didn’t follow the law,” Fayulu told the BBC.

Meanwhile, the Southern African Development Community on Friday called for calm in the DRC amid a dispute over the result of presidential vote.

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