The Democratic Republic of Congo on Thursday ordered the European Union to recall its envoy in Kinshasa in 48 hours, in retaliation to the union’s sanctions laid against 14 Congolese officials, including President Joseph Kabila’s preferred candidate for the December 30 Presidential election.
“The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo urges the European Council to proceed without fail in recalling its head of mission within 48 hours,” Foreign Minister Leonard She Okitundu said.
The EU extended a travel ban and asset freezes on the 14 DR Congo officials on December 10 for “the obstruction of the electoral process and the related human rights violations.”
The ruling party’s candidate for the upcoming presidential election, Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary, was among those in the sanctions list.
The DR Congo presidential vote was initially scheduled for November 2016, but the electoral body, CENI, said it was not able to conduct the poll due to logistical challenges.
Opposition leaders accused President Joseph Kabila of frustrating the elections as a means of clinging on to power, allegations he denied.
Should the elections now go on smoothly as planned, this will be the first time the DR Congo witnesses a peaceful transfer of power since its independence in 1960.
