Opposition leader calls on people's power to overthrow DRCongo president

Martin Fayulu, who claims to have been deprived of his victory in the presidential election in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), on Sunday called on the people to lead President Felix Tshisekedi to power, a journalist told Reuters. AFP.

Citing popular uprisings in Algeria and Sudan, he told a meeting of several thousand supporters in Kinshasa that Congolese could do the same thing.

"This time we came back to ask for and get Felix Tshisekedi's resignation," he said. "He is a shame, he sold the country …

"You, the people, are stronger than any army in the world, and in Sudan and Algeria, the people have been kicked out of the leadership, here we must do the same against Kabila and Tshisekedi.

Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika resigned in early April after several weeks of protests. Several regime officials and businessmen close to him were fired or detained for corruption.

Popular protests in Sudan culminated in a military council overthrowing veteran leader Omar al-Bashir in April. The protesters agreed Sunday on forming a joint civil-military council to pave the way for a civilian regime.

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, Fayulu has repeatedly said that the result of last December's presidential election was a conflict between Tshisekedi and outgoing President Joseph Kabila.

He was officially credited with 34.8% of the votes against 38.5% for Tshisekedi, but insists that he won about 60% of the vote.

Tshisekedi replaced Kabila, who relinquished power after 18 tumultuous years at the helm of the largest country in sub-Saharan Africa.

However, Kabila's Common Front for the Congo (FCC) coalition won a comfortable majority in both houses of Parliament and provincial bademblies, and its supporters also dominated the governorship elections across the country.