Mabanckou slams Hollande's silence on 'rigged' Congo elections

Franco-Congolese writer, Alain Mabanckou, has criticised French President François Hollande over his silence on the political situation in Congo following the re-election of President Dennis Sassou Nguesso in the March 20 polls.

In an open letter to Hollande, Mabanckou observed that the French leader had maintained a long silence on the outcome of the elections which he says were “rigged” in favour of the incumbent.

“The Congolese abroad and those who struggle day and night in the country found that you are observing a long silence on the outcome of the rigged presidential election that took place last March in Congo – Brazzaville,” writes the author who is known for his ‘Memoirs of Porcupine’ novel.

Ma lettre au Président fhollande sur le putsch électoral de #Sassou, texte le plus lu sur le site de lobs … pic.twitter.com/bFalAhnsLm

— Alain Mabanckou (@amabanckou) May 10, 2016

“The name of my country is now inscribed in red on the blackboard of dishonored banana republics, next to North Korea,” the writer protested.

Congo’s electoral commission announced Nguesso had emerged the victor in the first round of polls with 60.39% of the votes, a result which was contested by his two main competitors.

In an interview with Le Point magazine published in March just after the oil rich Central African nation held its elections, the writer denounced the polls as “stricken with smallpox.”

Mabanckou is one of the best known African writers in France and his work has been published in fifteen languages.

Press Agencies