The Congolese government expressed its concern on Tuesday about an imminent threat to the electoral process in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, Security and Customary Affairs, Peter Kazadi Kankonde, declared in a press conference that certain political offices are preparing to contest the results planned by the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI).

Five foreign nationals were apprehended by Congolese security services, he said. Although the nationalities were not disclosed, these individuals allegedly affirmed, according to a report, that there are currently 50 observers in the DRC equipped with the same type of communication equipment as that whose use had been prohibited to the European Union (EU) observers. For context, the EU had canceled its initial electoral mission due to delays in obtaining the necessary authorizations for the use of its means of communication, such as satellite phones and Internet kits.

This Tuesday, the Deputy Prime Minister specifically pointed the finger at an electoral observation mission, without explicitly naming it: "These individuals work with a structure that makes a lot of noise. This structure is funded to the tune of millions to accomplish this task “It seeks to replace the CENI,” declared Peter Kazadi Kankonde.

He added: "They have set up their results compilation centers, have hired a large number of staff and have satellite-connected technologies (...). This is not new, this is happening in many countries. other countries in Africa. They seek to manipulate the results and attribute them to a candidate of their choice."

The government has taken steps to thwart these alleged activities, he said.

These statements come after the recent statements of Jean-Pierre Bemba, Deputy Prime Minister in charge of Defense, who had directly accused Moïse Katumbi, declaring: "He knows that he is going to lose the elections, but he is going to fabricate results that he is going to have it published. If he does not succeed, they will try to set fire to the country. We will not let him destroy this country for his mafia ambitions. We will use public force to restore order." These comments underline a tense atmosphere on the eve of the election in the DRC.