They have come in numbers to bid farewell to a well-known, respected political figure.
The DRC’s opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi died in Brussels on Wednesday.
Congolese mourners from Belgium and several European countries attended the wake organised in an exhibition hall.
Known as “the Sphinx” for his sparse but profound statements, Tshisekedi was the undisputed leader of the opposition to President Joseph Kabila.
Tshisekedi’s death comes as the opposition and government were negotiating the departure of Kabila after 16 years in power.
He was expected to head a transitional council to oversee Kabila’s exit by the end of this year under a deal struck on December 31. Even though he was ill and absent from politics for three years.
Many admired him for remaining outside the folds of power in a country where many opponents have cycled in and out of government over the decades.
Tshisekedi’s credibility enabled him to mobilize the masses like no other figure in the country.
But his critics say he failed to leave in place political structures that could survive him.
