DRC government to plan 'befitting' funeral for opposition's Tshisekedi

The government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo says it is planning a dignified funeral for the long-time opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi who died in Brussels.

“A commission is working hard at the Ministry of the Interior for a funeral worthy of a former prime minister and former deputy speaker of the National Assembly in the person of Mr. Etienne Tshisekedi,” spokesperson for the DRC government, Lambert Mende told AFP on Friday.

“The head of state instructed the government to coordinate everything with the family and the party of the deceased in the organization of the different stages of the funeral,” Mende added.

According to Tshisekedi’s party, the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS), the commission will get in touch with the Rally (the opposition coalition formed by Mr. Tshisekedi) and other institutions after it is set up on Friday.

UDPS spokesperson Augustin Kabuya added that “the funeral of President Tshisekedi goes beyond the family circle or the party because tributes must be national or even international.”

Tshisekedi died on Wednesday afternoon in Brussels at the age of 84.

He left Congo during ongoing negotiations on the establishment of a peaceful transition of power after a series of crisis caused by the continuous hold of power by Joseph Kabila.

Kabila’s term expired on December 20, 2016, but remains in office as president pending an election to appoint his successor.