DRC : More Than 20 Heads Of State And Several Delegations Expected At Félix Tshisekedi’s Inauguration
President Félix Tshisekedi, re-elected for a second term, will take the oath of office on January 20. Over forty delegations, with at least twenty heads of state, are expected to attend his inauguration.
The Congolese president Félix Tshisekedi has not made the list of guests for the inauguration public. However, it is estimated that a number of Congolese authorities could potentially be invited. According to official sources from foreign affairs and the presidency, around forty invitations have been sent to guests from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The 15 countries of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) have also confirmed their presence and agreed to be represented by their heads of state.
Neighboring countries in Central Africa, including President Denis Sassou Nguesso, have accepted the invitation to travel to Kinshasa for the January 20 event. The presidents of Senegal and Togo, Macky Sall and Faure Gnassingbé, are almost certain to make the trip to Kinshasa.
Even the United States, which usually delegates its ambassador present in Kinshasa, has formed a delegation that will depart from Washington this time.
On Tuesday, President Joe Biden appointed a strong delegation to attend President Félix Tshisekedi’s inauguration. The delegation will be led to Kinshasa on January 20 by the honorable Scott Nathan, CEO of the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation.
In 2011, only one head of state, Robert Mugabe, attended the swearing-in ceremony of former President Joseph Kabila. Similarly, in 2018, during the swearing-in ceremony marking the end of Kabila’s regime, the only head of state seen in the stands was Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta.
In 2024, the guest list is more extensive, signaling that the DRC is making a significant comeback. It is a rare occurrence in history to witness such a massive presence of heads of state at the inauguration of the President of the DRC.
