The Democratic Republic of Congo’s election standoff intensified Sunday after a team of international observers reported that incumbent Joseph Kabila’s win was so flawed it lacked credibility. Gunfire erupted in various parts of Congo, with reports of police firing live ammunition and crowds ransacking shops.
The US-based Carter Centre observer mission said the results issued by Congo’s election commission “lack credibility” and pointed to uncounted ballots in opposition strongholds and “impossibly high” turnout in places where Kabila is favoured. Shooting rang out in some cities, including the capital Kinshasa, after Kabila’s main challenger, Etienne Tshisekedi, said he rejected the official results and declared himself the new leader of the vast central African state.
