Luanda, ANGOLA, February 4 - The President of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Felix Tshisekedi, is due to arrive in Luanda on Tuesday for an official and working visit of a few hours, at the invitation of his Angolan counterpart, João Lourenço.,

This is his first trip abroad after being elected and sworn in the post, on last 24 January.

 

According to a communiqué from the Civil House of the President of the Republic, Félix Tshisekedi will be received at the Presidential Palace, by his counterpart João Lourenço, with whom he will hold a private meeting, followed by an official lunch.

 

At 15:00 on the same day, the President of the neighbouring DRC will be returning to Kinshasa.

 

Fifth President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Félix Tshisekedi was born in Léopoldville on 13 June 1963.

 

He is the leader of the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS), the largest and oldest opposition party in the DRC.

 

Son of the late Étienne Tshisekedi, three times prime minister of the former Zaíre and leader of the opposition, Felix Tshisekedi was the candidate of the party of the UDPS in the general elections of December of 2018.

 

He recently named his coalition partner, Vital Kamerhe, as his chief of staff.

 

His political record notes that at the end of 2008 he was appointed UDPS national secretary for external relations.

 

In November 2011, he obtained a seat in the National Assembly, representing the city of Mbuji Mayina province of Kasai-Oriental.

 

However, he did not take a seat because he considered it a "fraudulent election," and his term was invalidated by "absenteeism."

 

In May 2013, he declined a position as rapporteur in the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI), and in October 2016 became Deputy Secretary-General of the UDPS.

 

On March 31, 2018, he was elected to lead the UDPS after his father died on February 1, 2017. On the same day, he was chosen by his party to be UDPS presidential candidate in the general elections.

 

On 20 January 2019, Félix Tshisekedi was confirmed winner of the 30 December 2018 election by the Constitutional Court of the DRC.

 

He won the election with 38.57 percent of the vote, against 34.83 from Fayulu and 23.84 percent from Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary, the government candidate.

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