DRC's Leader Warns 2028 Elections May Not Happen If War Persists

(MENAFN) Democratic Republic of the Congo President Felix Tshisekedi issued a stark warning Wednesday, cautioning that the country's scheduled 2028 presidential elections could be derailed entirely if the devastating armed conflict ravaging its eastern provinces remains unresolved.

Speaking at a press conference in Kinshasa, Tshisekedi described the ongoing fighting as a deliberate war of aggression engineered to destabilize state institutions, plunder the country's vast natural resources, and erode national sovereignty. Restoring security, overhauling the military, and reimposing state authority across the east have become the government's defining priorities, he said.

Tshisekedi, who first assumed the presidency in 2019 and secured re-election in late 2023, is constitutionally bound to a second term ending in 2028, with presidential elections due that December. However, he drew a firm line over the prospect of holding a national vote while key eastern territories remain outside government control.

The DRC would not proceed with elections without the inclusion of North Kivu and South Kivu provinces — large swaths of which have fallen under the grip of the March 23 Movement (M23) rebel group, he said.

"If we cannot end this war, unfortunately, we will not be able to organize elections in 2028," Tshisekedi said, adding that any possible delay would not be because he refuses to hold the vote.

Turning to the state of the armed forces, Tshisekedi acknowledged inheriting a military hollowed out by years of mismanagement, chronic underfunding, and internal infiltration. His administration has since ramped up defense spending while pushing forward with structural reforms aimed at rebuilding combat effectiveness, he said.

The president maintained that dialogue remains an indispensable path toward ending a conflict that has festered for decades, while insisting that any durable peace settlement must include a full cutoff of support to armed groups and the unconditional restoration of state authority across affected territories.

Eastern DRC in Freefall
The security landscape in eastern DRC has collapsed at alarming speed since January 2025, with M23 forces launching relentless offensives across North Kivu and South Kivu, overrunning key urban centers and unleashing a humanitarian catastrophe marked by mass civilian casualties and large-scale displacement.

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