Congo PM Sylvestre Ilunga resigns after losing confidence vote in parliament

Democratic Republic of Congo's Prime Minister Sylvestre Ilunga Ilunkamba on Friday resigned after the country's parliament passed a no-confidence motion against him. Ilunkamba was voted out by lawmakers on Wednesday in a move orchestrated by President Felix Tshisekedi, who has been working to remove all pro-Kabila politicians from key government posts. Ilunkama thanked President Tshidekedi as well as the former President Joseph Kabila as he put down his papers on Friday. 

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Ilunkamba had earlier refused to step down as Prime Minister, calling the then-impending vote a "notorious" attempt to overthrow his government, which he had been leading for 15 months. After Tshisekedi was elected President in 2018 he formed a coalition with former President Joseph Kabila because he did not gain a majority of his own. Months of negotiations led to Kabila securing the key Prime Minister's post for his loyalist Ilunkamba. Now that Tshisekedi has succeeded in ousting Ilunkamba he will look for someone closer to him for the position. 

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The rift between Tshisekedi & Kabila

But a rift between the two camps resulted in Tshisekedi ending the coalition and announcing his own "Sacred Union" with more than 20 parties. The announcement led to a physical altercation between MPs in the National Assembly. Tshidekedi, who had won the 2018 general election on promises largely based on fighting corruption, of which the previous government had been blamed for over the course of its tenure, accused pro-Kabila loyalists of blocking reforms and his policies. 

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Tshisekedi came to power in 2018 after polls were held to replace Joseph Kabila, whose final term had expired in 2016. The presidential poll was delayed for two years before it was finally held, in which Tshisekedi emerged as victor garnering 38.6% of the total votes. Kabila had extended his support to former Minister of the Interior Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary, who came third with just 23.8% votes. 

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(Image Credit: AP)