Congo’s new president, Félix Tshisekedi, does not call the shots

VENDORS SELLING mobile-phone airtime and money-changers swinging bags of Congolese francs mill around beneath a billboard in Kinshasa that reads “Kabila forever”. It reminds people that Joseph Kabila, who stepped down in January as president of the Democratic Republic of Congo after 18 years, has not really gone. Though Mr Kabila (pictured, left) handed over the sash of office to Félix Tshisekedi, the leader of the main opposition party, he appears still to be calling the shots.

The ascent of Mr Tshisekedi (pictured, receiving the sash) was remarkable. It was the country’s first transfer of power via the ballot box; all previous leaders were either killed or fled. It also involved a novel kind of election-rigging. Mr Kabila’s chosen successor was so unpopular that the regime could not plausibly claim he had won. Instead, and presumably after some interesting backroom discussions, it announced that Mr Tshisekedi had won, though impartial estimates suggest he came a distant second with less than 20% of the vote. The real winner with 60%, Martin Fayulu, had promised justice for Congo’s many corrupt bigwigs. He now tours Western capitals trying to drum up support for another election, which is unlikely to happen.