Elections In DRC: Paris Calls For “Clarity” On Results, “Not In Line” With Expectations

France said Thursday that the results of the presidential election in the Democratic Republic of Congo announced Wednesday were “not consistent” expectations and that the opponent Martin Fayulu was “a priori” the winner.

“It seems that the results proclaimed are not consistent with the results that we have seen here or there,” said French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian on the news channel CNEWS .

“The Episcopal Conference of the Congo has made checks, announced results that were totally different,” he added.

Opposition candidate Felix Tshisekedi was declared the winner of the December 30 election with 38.57% of the vote in front of the opposition leader Martin Fayulu (34.8%). He immediately challenged the result and denounced an “electoral coup”.

The powerful Congolese Episcopal Conference (Cenco), which had deployed a mission observation of the poll, declared January 4 to know the name of the winner, without naming it.

“We need to keep calm, avoid clashes and clarity about these results that are contrary to what we imagined, to what was advanced,” continued Jean-Yves Le Drian .

“It can go wrong because Mr. Fayulu was a priori the outgoing leader of these elections,” he added.

“France has seized the Security Council late last week so that the results are real results,” he said.

“She wants African heads of state and African organizations to act so that the results are the real results of the elections,” he said.