DR Congo Names First Female Prime Minister

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Facts

• Former planning minister Judith Suminwa Tuluka on Monday was selected as the first female prime minister in the history of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) by Pres. Félix Tshisekedi.¹
• This comes after former prime minister Jean-Michel Sama Lukonde resigned in February as legally required after he became a member of parliament.²
• The appointment of a new prime minister had been on hold until the ruling Union for Democracy and Social Progress party could beat out 44 other parties for a majority position in the National Assembly.³
• Previously, Tshisekedi secured re-election late last year in a vote the opposition denounced as rigged, with parties supporting him winning more than 90% of the parliamentary seats.⁴
• Although the DRC has its first female prime minister, it doesn't rank among the Inter-Parliamentary Union's top 10 African countries in terms of gender equality in politics.⁵
• The DRC, one of the world's poorest nations, has seen 7M people internally displaced by a worsening security situation, particularly in the North Kivu province where the M23 rebel group has seized territories over the past two years.⁶

Sources: ¹Associated Press, ²Nation, ³BBC News, ⁴France 24, ⁵Business Insider and ⁶Al Jazeera.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by The Rwandan. This appointment ushers in a new era in the governance of the DRC. With this decision, Tshisekedi has further demonstrated his commitment to gender equality and positive masculinity.
• Narrative B, as provided by The Greatlakeseye. As he starts his second term in office, Tshisekedi is using the gender-equality agenda to divert public attention from his failure to make good on his promise to fight corruption and embezzlement. This appointment is merely a PR stunt.

Predictions