Democratic Republic Of Congo president Felix Tshisekedi on Friday reached an agreement with his predecessor Joseph Kabila to divide the main security and economic cabinet posts between their two camps, sources familiar with the negotiations said. The agreement comes after six months of negotiations over the formation of a new government.
Both Kabila’s FCC and Tshisekedi’s CACH revealed publicly that an agreement had been reached.
“An agreement has just been found this Friday between the FCC and CACH,” the FCC said in a tweet. “The FCC pays tribute to … Joseph Kabila and his partner President Felix Tshisekedi for their positive drive and complete involvement.”
The parties did not provide any other details about the agreement.
Tshisekedi’s close aide, Francois Muamba, also confirmed on Twitter that a deal had been reached. The three sources said the names of the ministers would be finalized over the weekend, reported Africa News.
Tshisekedi won the elections in December and replacing Kabila who governed sub-Saharan Africa’s biggest country for eighteen long years. The latter was barred by constitutional term limits from standing in the December election.
Tshisekedi took power in January end but was unsuccessful in forming a government as Kabila’s Common Front for Congo (FCC) coalition won majorities in both houses of parliament as well as provincial assemblies.
Notably, the FCC had demanded most of the highest-profile ministries by virtue of its sizable majorities in Democratic Republic of Congo’s parliament.
The sources claim that the FCC would be in charge of the important ministries of defense, finance, justice and the ministry of the public portfolio, which oversees state companies like copper and cobalt miner Gecamines, a joint venture partner of Glencore and China Molybdenum. CACH, on the other hand, will control the ministries of the interior, budget and economy, and foreign affairs.
