Protests break out in two eastern cities as incumbent takes oath of office at stadium in Kinshasa

Félix Tshisekedi, the president of the Democratic Republic of Congo, has been sworn in for a second five-year term after a landslide victory his opponents have refused to recognise owing to widespread irregularities in the December general election.

Authorities have acknowledged there were problems but dismissed allegations the vote was stolen. The fractious standoff echoes previous electoral disputes that fuelled unrest in Africa’s second-largest country, with protests breaking out on Saturday in two eastern cities.

Officials in Democratic Republic of the Congo says Felix Tshisekedi has been re-elected with 73% of the vote

The president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Felix Tshisekedi, has won a second term in office with a landslide victory, according to provisional results, in a vote opposition leaders have dismissed as a “sham”.

Provisional results from the single-round presidential ballot, declared on Sunday by the country’s electoral commission, Ceni, showed Tshisekedi had won 73% of the vote.

Church observers allege further irregularities after difficult polling day, but main opposition leader declines to join call for rerun

Voters in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have been left with more questions over the credibility of this week’s presidential election, amid fresh accusations of irregularities, as voting came to an end on an unplanned second day of balloting.

An observer mission formed by two church bodies, the Episcopal Conference of the Congo and the Church of Christ in the Congo, reported that 11% of voting machines had been set up at military schools, contrary to election law, according to reports from the local news site Actualite.cd.

Opposition complains of ‘obviously planned electoral fraud’ as vote is plagued by administrative chaos, delays and closed polling stations

Five Congolese opposition presidential candidates have jointly called for a rerun of the country’s general elections, saying a decision by the election commission to extend the ballot was unconstitutional.

After a day plagued by administrative chaos, delays and closed polling stations, electoral authorities said late on Wednesday that voting would continue on the following day in areas where voters could not cast ballots.

Contenders yet to unite around a single figure who could challenge incumbent Félix Tshisekedi

Africa’s fourth most populous country, the mineral-rich Democratic Republic of the Congo, goes to the polls in three weeks’ time with a civil war raging, two international peacekeeping forces starting to depart and an EU electoral observers’ mission quitting after the government refused to let them use their own satellite phones.

In a country with a history of stolen elections, the chances of preventing the incumbent president, Félix Tshisekedi, from securing a second five-year term turn on the ability of the diverse opposition to unite around a single credible candidate.