In December 2020, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) held its general election and President Felix Tshisekedi of the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS) was declared the victor, after a highly contested poll marked by violence and accusations of fraud.
Tshisekedi was re-elected with about eight million of the nearly 19 million votes cast, narrowly edging over his closest rival, Martin Fayulu of the Lamuka coalition.
Tshisekedi’s victory marks the first peaceful transfer of power in the DRC in 18 years. He has promised to focus on addressing poverty, conflict and insecurity, improving infrastructure and services, and fighting corruption. In addition, he has prioritized establishing good relations with neighboring countries and the international community to ensure stability in the region. While the result of the election was locally contentious, it was generally accepted internationally. The African Union, the European Union, and the United States of America welcomed the result.
