Congolese President Tshisekedi Sworn in for Second Term after Disputed Vote

The president-elect of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Felix Tshisekedi (C)waves as he arrives at his inauguration ceremony at the Martyrs Stadium in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, 20 January 2024. EPA/CHRIS MILOSI
The president-elect of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Felix Tshisekedi (C)waves as he arrives at his inauguration ceremony at the Martyrs Stadium in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, 20 January 2024. EPA/CHRIS MILOSI
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Congolese President Tshisekedi Sworn in for Second Term after Disputed Vote

The president-elect of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Felix Tshisekedi (C)waves as he arrives at his inauguration ceremony at the Martyrs Stadium in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, 20 January 2024. EPA/CHRIS MILOSI
The president-elect of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Felix Tshisekedi (C)waves as he arrives at his inauguration ceremony at the Martyrs Stadium in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, 20 January 2024. EPA/CHRIS MILOSI

Democratic Republic of Congo President Felix Tshisekedi was sworn in for a second five-year term on Saturday after a landslide victory his opponents have refused to recognize due to widespread irregularities over the December general election.
Authorities have acknowledged there were issues but dismissed allegations the vote was stolen. The fractious standoff echoes previous electoral disputes that fueled unrest in Africa's second-largest country, with protests breaking out in two eastern cities.
Tshisekedi took the oath of office in a stadium in the capital Kinshasa packed with flag-waving supporters, government officials, African heads of state and foreign envoys including from the United States, China, and France.
In a speech, he acknowledged the nation's hopes of better living conditions and economic opportunities. Around 62% of Congo's 100 million people live on less than a dollar a day.
"I am aware of your expectations," he said. "A goal of this new five-year term is to create more jobs."
He also promised "a profound restructuring of our security and defense apparatus" and further diplomatic efforts to address Congo's
long-running security crisis
in eastern provinces.
Choirs singing the Hallelujah chorus from Handel's Messiah, marching military bands, and a 21-cannon salute marked his inauguration.
"ELECTORAL CATASTROPHE"
With armed military police deployed throughout the capital, there was no immediate sign opposition supporters were heeding a call from two of Tshisekedi's main opponents to protest his re-election across the country.
In the eastern city of Beni, protesters set up makeshift barricades in the early hours and burned tyres - a demonstration that police dispersed without major incident. Similar small-scale protests broke out in the eastern city of Goma and other urban centers, but were contained by the mass deployment of security forces, Reuters reporters said.
Congo's largest election-monitoring group CENCO this week called the presidential and legislative polls and "electoral catastrophe", citing its own observations of fraud, mishandling of election materials, parallel voting, and other issues.
The CENI election commission has said such infractions were
limited in scale
and did not affect the outcome of the elections, which they say were ultimately free and fair.
Many African and Western countries, wary that the dispute could further destabilize a globally important mineral exporter, have recognized Tshisekedi's victory since Congo's highest court dismissed official challenges.
"We deplore the indifference and astonishing complacency of international diplomacy," said opposition presidential candidate and Nobel Peace Prize-winning gynecologist Denis Mukwege in a statement on Saturday.
He and Tshisekedi's main challengers, including Moise Katumbi and Martin Fayulu, have refused to contest the results in court over the alleged lack of independence of state institutions. The government has rejected their demand for a full rerun of the vote.



Danish Leader Tells the US ‘You Cannot Annex Another Country’ as She Visits Greenland

Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland's acting head of government Mute Bourup Egede attend a press conference aboard the Danish Navy inspection vessel Vaedderen, in the waters around Nuuk, Greenland, April 3, 2025. (Reuters)
Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland's acting head of government Mute Bourup Egede attend a press conference aboard the Danish Navy inspection vessel Vaedderen, in the waters around Nuuk, Greenland, April 3, 2025. (Reuters)
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Danish Leader Tells the US ‘You Cannot Annex Another Country’ as She Visits Greenland

Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland's acting head of government Mute Bourup Egede attend a press conference aboard the Danish Navy inspection vessel Vaedderen, in the waters around Nuuk, Greenland, April 3, 2025. (Reuters)
Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland's acting head of government Mute Bourup Egede attend a press conference aboard the Danish Navy inspection vessel Vaedderen, in the waters around Nuuk, Greenland, April 3, 2025. (Reuters)

Denmark's prime minister has told the US during a visit to Greenland that “you cannot annex another country,” even with the argument that international security is at stake.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, meanwhile, said on Friday that Washington will respect Greenland's self-determination and Copenhagen “should focus on the fact that the Greenlanders don’t want to be a part of Denmark.”

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen was wrapping up a three-day visit to the strategically critical Arctic island on Friday as US President Donald Trump seeks control of Greenland. He argues that Greenland, a semiautonomous territory belonging to the Kingdom of Denmark, is critical to US security.

A week ago, Vice President JD Vance visited a remote US military base in Greenland and accused Denmark of underinvesting in the territory.

Frederiksen pushed back against the US criticism as she spoke on Thursday alongside Greenland's incoming and outgoing leaders on board a Danish naval ship. She argued that Denmark, a NATO ally, has been a reliable friend.

Speaking in English, she said that “if we let ourselves be divided as allies, then we do our foes a favor. And I will do everything that I can to prevent that from happening.”

“When you ask our businesses to invest in the US, they do. When you ask us to spend more on our defense, we do; and when you ask of us to strengthen security in the Arctic, we are on the same page,” she said.

“But when you demand to take over a part of the Kingdom of Denmark’s territory, when we are met by pressure and by threats from our closest ally, what are we to believe in about the country that we have admired for so many years?”

“This is about the world order that we have built together across the Atlantic over generations: you cannot annex another country, not even with an argument about international security,” Frederiksen said.

The Danish leader said that, if the US wants to strengthen security in the Arctic, “let us do so together.”

Political parties in Greenland, which has been leaning toward eventual independence from Denmark for years, last week agreed to form a broad-based new coalition government in the face of Trump's designs on the territory. Those have angered many in Greenland and Denmark.

In an interview with Newsmax on Thursday, Vance repeated the accusation that Denmark has “really underinvested in the infrastructure and security of Greenland.”

He said Trump's point is that “this matters to our security, this matters to our missile defense, and we're going to protect America's interests come hell or high water.”

Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen, who was attending a meeting in Brussels with his NATO counterparts, wrote on social network X that he had an “honest and direct” meeting Thursday with Rubio.

“I made it crystal clear that claims and statements about annexing Greenland are not only unacceptable and disrespectful,” Løkke Rasmussen wrote. “They amount to a violation of international law.”

Rubio told reporters in Brussels Friday that “no one's annexed anything.” He added that Vance has made clear that “he's going to respect the self-determination of Greenlanders.”

“Denmark should focus on the fact that the Greenlanders don’t want to be a part of Denmark," Rubio said.

“We didn’t give them that idea. They’ve been talking about that for a long time,” he said. "Whenever they make that decision, they’ll make that decision.”

“If they make that decision, then the United States would stand ready, potentially, to step in and say, okay, we can create a partnership with you," Rubio said, adding that "we’re not at that stage.”