Teen killed, election depot torched as DRC campaign heats up

On December 23, just over 40 million voters will head to the polls to choose a successor to Kabila, who has ruled the country since 2001.

Although his second and final term ended nearly two years ago, he has remained in power as caretaker leader, provoking a wave of sometimes violent protest.

Twenty-one candidates are running to replace Kabila, whose hand-picked successor Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary, is one of the front-runners.

The other two are Fayulu, who is running as the joint candidate for several opposition parties, and Tshisekedi, who has taken over from his father as the veteran face of Congo’s mainstream opposition.