While the election in Congo was relatively quiet, the US is expecting
that there will be protests when the results are announced. The anticipation is enough that President Trump has ordered to send troops to neighboring Gabon, and is warning the Congolese not to protest.
Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) is reporting that the US sent about 80 troops
and “appropriate combat equipment” to Gabon for the fight, President
Trump has said more troops will deploy as needed to Gabon.
The election is between the ruling party’s candidate Ramazani Shadary,
and opposition candidate Martin Fayulu, who is backed by the Catholic
Church. The Catholics appear to be anticipating a Fayulu win, and have
warned of an “uprising” if an untrue result is released.
Shadary is backed by long-standing dictator Joseph Kabula’s family, and
has accused the Catholics of being “irresponsible and anarchist” in
their attitude toward the election.
Though results were expected on Sunday, officials say only 53% of the
polling stations have been counted. The church insisted on Thursday that
the results are a clear win for their side. There is no longer any
timeline for a result.
US Sends Troops to Gabon, Warns Congo Against Post-Vote Protests
Catholic Church threatens uprising if untrue vote is announced
Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.
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