Ethan of My Heart’s in Accra has done an excellent job of “Unpacking the DRC Election Results” in which Joseph Kabila will run against former rebel leader Jean-Pierre Bemba. He also has a link to an excellent mapping of the election results by the BBC. The announcement has led to violence between supporters of the two election finalists. On the one hand this was not supposed to happen especially with the 17,000 plus MONUC forces present. On the other hand violence was expected to break out at some point in an election where the political and the financial rewards are so high. If either Kabila or Bemba had won outright there still would have been violence so it is a no win situation. Meanwhile alliances are being built on both sides ready for the run off in just over 2 months on the 29th October. It is unfortuante that the country has to wait two more months to vote and then a further couple of weeks for the final election result. It is hard to see how the country can get through this period without continued fractional fighting and further bloodshed in what is already seeming like a divided country.

In another development, South African Journalists Online report that the a radio and TV station owned by Jean-Pierre Bemba (RTAE and CCTV television stations) have been expressing hate messages “which are inciting Congolese to target and take revenge on white people and foreigners”. A comment left on the site believes the stations are right to target white people especially South Africans.

they support Kabila, who is not even a Congolese. Their support is based on profit not on sincerity. He promised and already gave them all the mining contracts. South Africa only wants our gold, cobalt, zinc, coltrane, manganese, diamond and so on, but it does not care about the well-being of our people. All the proceeds of these contracts will come back here, benefit South Africans while our people continue to suffer. Some will go into the pockets of Motsepe, Tokyo, Cyril, Mbeki, Phumzile and other capitalists. For South Africans, we mean nothing. Look, they way they treat us here. Like animals, they insult and hate us. South Africans are full of xenophobia. What are doing in Congo if we are animals. What is the UN anyway? They are the useless puppets of US and Britain. We, refugees are suffering here and ill-treated by South African citizens including Home Affairs officials and police while their govt looks on, where is the UNHCR? Look at Palestine and Lebanon, where is the UN? Im telling you it is gonna be war in Congo if Kabila (Mbeki’s son, puppet and business partner) wins. Halala Congo and Lumumba! Phantsi Mbeki, IEC and capitalism!

Whilst I agree with some of what this person has to say regarding mining contracts and the suffering of refugees and he gets it right about the UN, intolerance and inciting violence against anyone, Congolese or foreigners, is not going to make their life or anyone elses easier. Maybe it is just that the Congolese people have lived with so much violence for so long that it is seen as the only solution to everything.