You have to show your credentials to enter the office of Mavuno, one of the largest voter registration centers in Goma, in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Three police officers armed with Kalashnikovs are checking identities bit by bit through the porthole of the gate. “I came at 2 a.m. but I still haven’t passed,” says a 50-year-old in the middle of about 30 people gathered in front of the door.
In the capital of North Kivu, the queues are long. But ten days after the launch of enrollment operations, on February 16, only 6% of voters in the province have received their card, according to the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI).
“I’ve been coming for three days!” shouts Jeanne, a voter caught by security guards as she snuck into the center during a stampede. After several hours of waiting, the young woman is finally faced with one of the office managers, who archives her fingerprints and photo on a computer. A few minutes are enough to receive the precious sesame: the voter card.
“Sometimes machines break down. In this case, we close until the problem is repaired, ”says a CENI agent who requested anonymity. However, time is running out to register the 4,735,866 voters expected in North Kivu, who represent between 8 and 10% of national voters, according to the UN Group of Experts on Congo (GEC).
The ballot still seems far away
The presidential election, coupled with the legislative and provincial elections, is supposed to be held on December 20, 2023. But in the 32 enrollment centers in Goma, the ballot still seems far away. “The voter card will give us the identity card [which is not currently issued in the DRC]. That’s what mainly brings me, the rest doesn’t interest me much, “assumes Pacific in front of Mavuno’s office. In April 2022, the Congolese government undertook to distribute, on the basis of the same file and before the start of the vote, these two documents.
Can this promise apply to all the inhabitants of North Kivu, the second province in terms of electoral weight? To date, only 84% of registrars are operational in the region. None have opened in the part controlled by the March 23 Movement (M23) insurgents, even though the armed group has repeatedly promised to withdraw and cease hostilities as of Tuesday, March 7.
The exclusion of part of the population from the electoral process could increase mistrust in those who populate the area now administered by the rebels, in particular in the communities of expression Kinyarwanda, the language also spoken in Rwanda, accused by Kinshasa and a report from the GEC to support the M23. “They have been singled out, accused of being foreign, since the early 1990s. It was during this period, during the sovereign national conference organized by President Mobutu Sese Seko, that the concept of ‘nationality’ emerged doubtful”, recalls Onesphore Sematumba, of the International Crisis Group (ICG).
“In the medium term, the fact of not having one’s voter card could be used to exclude certain people of Congolese nationality”, continues the researcher, who fears a multiplication of amalgams between Rwandophone Congolese and Rwandans. “We do not want to exclude nationals, but neither do we want to enlist foreigners in the area under Rwandan influence”, justifies Paul Muhindo, the deputy rapporteur of the CENI. Especially since the M23 continues to expand in the territories of Rutshuru and Masisi.
This deterioration of the security situation and its consequences on the future election worry the deputies of North Kivu. To date, about fifteen constituencies remain inaccessible and as many seats risk being ousted from the future National Assembly. Like these elected officials, some citizen movements are calling for the suspension of electoral operations. “The power in place is not very popular in eastern DRC, since it has failed to restore peace and security. But that doesn’t mean we should be excluded to ensure re-election,” warns Jimmy Nzialy, coordinator of the Positive Generation association.
The threat of a “slip” in the election was openly raised by President Felix Tshisekedi on March 4. During his press conference with Emmanuel Macron, he clearly linked the situation in the east to the holding of the presidential election on the scheduled date. “Should the voter registration process be halted while waiting for peace to return, with the risk that this will impact compliance with the timetable? He wondered. Should we continue the process without taking into account the large populations of war-displaced people? This is what can be a problem. »
Several cases of fraud
In Goma, the electoral campaign seems to have already started. Giant posters of Félix Tshisekedi, who has already announced his intention to run for a second term, of his ministers or even of certain personalities, like Denis Mukwege, Nobel Peace Prize 2018, which casts doubt on its candidacy, border the main arteries of the city. “Register,” the signs read.
In the Kanyaruchinya IDP camps, some have answered the call. The CENI has set up several offices there to register as many voters as possible. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), more than 600,000 people have fled areas held by M23 over the past year.
Jean, who prefers to give only an assumed name, is one of them. The young man braved bad weather to enlist. But when he left his village in a hurry in November, he could not take his papers. “There are many of them. All you have to do is come with three people from your locality who sign and testify to your identity, ”explains a center president. But because of the rain, Jean was unable to convince his “witnesses” to accompany him. “Their presence was not required, I just needed to present their voter cards,” Jean explains after registering on the rolls.
While the CENI recognizes “some problems”, members of the opposition and activists from civic associations have already documented several cases of fraud throughout the country. Youtuber Fabien Kusuanika Mbambi, supporter of Martin Fayulu (who continues to claim his victory in the 2018 presidential election), says he managed to obtain four voter cards with his photo, “for 5 dollars each”, he announces on social networks. The CENI made available, in early February, three telephone numbers to denounce “the coinage, corruption and disorder”.
