Remains of DRC's main opposition leader expected in Kinshasa this weekend

The body of the main opposition leader of the Democratic Republic of Congo Etienne Tshisekedi is expected in the capital Kinshasa this weekend.

His party, the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS) said on Monday that his body will be repatriated from Brussels in Belgium where he died last Wednesday.

“The body of President Tshisekedi could be repatriated to Kinshasa earliest by Friday,” Valentin Mubake, one of the leaders of the party in charge of the funeral said.

“After the arrival of the body, the final programme for the funeral will be known” and may take place on Sunday, Mubake added.

The DRC government created a commission last week to plan a dignified funeral in coordination with the family and the UDPS party.

“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 last Friday.

84-year-old Tshisekedi left Congo for medical check-up in Brussels where he died.

He left 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.