DRC unveils new government after month-long impasse

The curtain fell on the new government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo after five months of delay that left the country in political uncertainties.

 

Internal disagreements on positions in the cabinet delayed the announcement by president Felix Tshisekedi, who won the presidential vote in late 2023.

 

The announcement of a cabinet of 54 ministers came after the president chose the country’s first female Prime Minister in April, Judith Suminwa.

 

The new government will have to tackle the endemic insecurity problem that poses a serious obstacle to one of the most populous countries in Africa.

 

The country’s mineral wealth, estimated at $25 trillion, has yet to be tapped into due to corruption and instability in the country’s east, where different rebilions are ongoing, notably that led by the M23 movement.

 

Ongoing infighting worsened the humanitarian situation amid an increase in refugees from neighbouring countries.

 

Armed clashes have forced an estimated 6 million people to flee their homes in the country, while 1 million sought asylum elsewhere.