Kinshasa (AFP)

Months of negotiations for a bloated coalition of 66 members: the next government of the Democratic Republic of Congo was finally unveiled Monday, the last stage of the first peaceful transition of power between the head of state Felix Tshisekedi and his predecessor, Joseph Kabila.

Kabila's relatives, who are in the majority in parliament, take the lion's share of the executive with, for example, Justice, Finance and Defense. Supporters of Tshisekedi, proclaimed the winner of the December 30 election, pocket Foreign Affairs and the Interior.

President Tshisekedi was able to fly away with the feeling of accomplishment towards Tokyo for the Africa-Japan Summit in Yokohama. The Assembly is meeting until September 7 in extraordinary session to invest this new government.

The only diplomatic reaction of the day, the United States said it was "ready to work with the new government to advance the privileged partnership US- # DRC to promote peace and prosperity," a tweet from their ambassador in Kinshasa, Mike Hammer.

The Congolese have even more precise expectations: "We are expecting this Monday, September 2 on the back to school, free primary education, this is the first major challenge.The second major challenge is with respect to security and national integrity, "said Nicolas Mwabi, a civil servant. The DRC is also facing an Ebola outbreak in the East.

Negotiations lasted seven months between the political forces of the new head of state, invested on January 24, and those of Joseph Kabila, who remains the other strongman of the largest country in sub-Saharan Africa bursting with mineral wealth .

The talks between the two sides took "a long time" because "everything that could hinder the functioning of the government" had to be emptied, said Prime Minister Sylvestre Ilunga, an economist who is a member of the Common Front for Congo (FCC). , the coalition of Joseph Kabila.

The government comprises five deputy prime ministers, two of whom are also from Joseph Kabila's FCC: Célestin Tunda (Justice) and a woman, Elysée Munembwe (Plan).

Among the other Deputy Prime Minister is a close to the head of state, Gilbert Kankonde, who receives the portfolio of the Interior.

A poisoned gift in case of prohibition or repression of future demonstrations in the DRC, where the election of Mr. Tshisekedi is still challenged by the radical opposition gathered around Martin Fayulu.

- A woman at the head of diplomacy -

The government includes "83% men and 17% women." This percentage is still low, but it must be weighted by the importance of the portfolios that have been allocated to women, "said the Prime Minister. "So we have a lady Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Planning and a lady Minister of State, Minister of Foreign Affairs".

This new head of Congolese diplomacy is called Marie Tumba Nzeza, member of the UDPS of Felix Tshisekedi. Two other women are Minister of State: Béatrice Lomeya (Gender) and Nene Nkulu (Employment).

The government list sometimes surprises even connoisseurs of political life and for good reason: "Those who have never been ministers represent 76.97% of the team", welcomes the Prime Minister, for whom it is a question of "the biggest innovation".

Two ministers already have hot issues on the table: at Health, Dr. Eteni Longondo, a member of the UDPS of Felix Tshisekedi, must manage with the head of state the Ebola epidemic that has made nearly 2,000 died in one year in the East. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is expected on the spot next Saturday.

In primary education, Willy Bakonga, from the PPRD of Mr. Kabila, must implement the measure repeated by his predecessor Saturday: free primary education in public schools from the beginning of September 2. Cost of the measure: $ 2.6 billion, almost half of the current state budget.

"I think it was worth the wait, we have a government that realizes the vision of the head of state, it's the direction of change, so the change is starting now, let's get to work!" said Mr. Ilunga.

The government has been hailed by the very influential Catholic Church, which wants to "believe that we are moving in a new direction".

The same episcopal conference had doubts about the validity of Tshisekedi's election, implying that the real winner was Martin Fayulu.

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© 2019 AFP