Congo holds presidential vote after fraught campaign

Voters in Democratic Republic of Congo take part in a general election on Wednesday after a chaotic campaign marred by opposition allegations of impending fraud, electoral violence, and logistical setbacks that could prevent many from voting.
For months, the CENI election commission has insisted it will deliver a free and fair vote as promised across Africa’s second-largest country, even as independent observers and critics flag irregularities they say will jeopardise the legitimacy of the results.
Some 44 million Congolese are registered to take part in the presidential, legislative, and regional vote. As voting day neared, the authorities sought extra helicopters, raising concerns about the CENI’s ability to open polling stations in areas otherwise unreachable due to bad roads or deep insecurity.
President Felix Tshisekedi is competing against around two dozen opposition challengers in the hope of a second term running the mineral-rich yet poverty-stricken nation.