Opposition groups in the Democratic Republic of Congo have called for a nationwide strike Tuesday, hoping to force President Joseph Kabila to hold elections and step down when his second term expires at the end of this year. This came after the opposition coalition over the weekend refused to attend a dialogue with President Kabila, sponsored by the African Union and facilitated by former Togolese Prime Minister Edem Kodjo. Martin Fayulu, leader of the Commitment for Citizenship and Development party and a member of the opposition coalition, said Kodjo is biased in favor of President Kabila.
Fayulu said the opposition will participate in dialogue under U.N. Security Council resolution 2277 which calls for discussions that respect the Congolese constitution.
“We want to demonstrate to Mr. Kabila that the people of Congo they don’t want to see Mr. Kodjo. We want the talks to take place in accordance with U.N. Resolution 2277. We are saying that Mr. Kodjo is becoming a bottleneck and has to go,” he said.
DRC Information Minister Lambert Mende denied Kodjo favors President Kabila. He has urged the opposition to join the national dialogue that is intended reach a consensus necessary for a peaceful electoral process.
Full Article: DRC Opposition Calls for Nationwide Strike Tuesday.
