Union of Mobutist Democrats
Union of Mobutist Democrats Union des Démocrates Mobutistes | |
|---|---|
| Abbreviation | UDEMO |
| Chairman | Nzanga Mobutu |
| Founded | 8 January 2007 |
| Headquarters | 545 Kimbondo Avenue, Bandalungwa, Kinshasa |
| Ideology | Congolese nationalism[1] Liberal conservatism[2] Christian democracy[3] |
| Political position | Centre-right to right-wing[1] |
| Colours | Green and yellow |
| National Assembly | 0 / 500 |
| Senate | 0 / 108 |
The Union of Mobutist Democrats (French: Union des Démocrates Mobutistes, UDEMO) is a political party in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is chaired by Nzanga Mobutu, a son of former Zairian president Mobutu Sese Seko.[4][5][6]
Founding
It was founded by Nzanga Mobutu and his brother Giala Mobutu in 2004 as a non-governmental organization (NGO), with the aim of preserving the legacy of their father, former President Mobutu Sese Seko, and addressing social and political challenges in the country. From its inception, UDEMO emphasized an ideology centered on the restoration of peace, national unity, and territorial integrity, reflecting its commitment to rebuilding a cohesive and stable Democratic Republic of the Congo. These founding principles laid the groundwork for its evolution into a political party and its participation in the national political landscape.
In Government
On December 12, 2005, Nzanga Mobutu announced his candidacy for the upcoming presidential election, held in July 2006. Later in 2006, during the second round of the election, UDEMO transitioned into a political platform and joined the Alliance of the Presidential Majority (AMP), a coalition supporting President Joseph Kabila.
On January 8, 2007, Nzanga formally launched his political career as the leader of UDEMO, a political party advocating for the restoration of peace, national unity, and territorial integrity. The party maintains a strong base of support in the northwestern province of Équateur, particularly in Gbadolite. As part of the AMP coalition, Nzanga Mobutu served as Minister of State for Agriculture and later as Deputy Prime Minister for Basic Social Needs in Kabila's government.
Nzanga Mobutu ran as UDEMO’s presidential candidate in both the 2006 and 2011 elections, securing 4.8% and 1.6% of the votes, respectively. In the 2006 general elections, UDEMO won 9 out of 500 seats in the National Assembly. In the 2007 Senate elections, the party secured 1 out of 108 seats. In the 2011 general elections, the party won 2 seats in the National Assembly, followed by 1 seat in the 2018 elections. UDEMO also retained 1 seat in the Senate in both the 2019 and 2024 elections.
In 2023, UDEMO joined the Sacred Union of the Nation (USN), the presidential majority coalition under President Félix Tshisekedi.
Electoral history
Presidential elections
| Year | Candidate | Votes | % | Rank | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Nzanga Mobutu | 808,397 | 4.77% | 4th | [6][7] |
| 2011 | 285,273 | 1.57% | 6th | [7][8] |
Senate elections
| Year | Seats | +/− | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 1 / 108
|
[9] | |
| 2019 | 1 / 109
|
||
| 2024 | 1 / 109
|
Parliamentary elections
| Year | Seats | +/− | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 9 / 500
|
[5][7] | |
| 2011 | 2 / 500
|
7 | [7][10] |
| 2018 | 0 / 500
|
2 | [11] |
| 2023 | 0 / 500
|
[12] |
References
Citations
- ^ a b Nzongola-Ntalaja, Georges. "The Democratic Republic of Congo: From Party-State to Multi-Party Politics." Review of African Political Economy, vol. 23, no. 70, 1996, pp. 379–390.
- ^ EISA. "The Founding Elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo: A Highly Fragmented Party System." Journal of African Elections, vol. 6, no. 1, 2007.
- ^ Academia. "Parliamentary and Presidential Elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo, 2006." Academia.edu, 2006.
- ^ BBC News 2006.
- ^ a b Vander Weyden 2007, p. 209.
- ^ a b ISS Africa 2011.
- ^ a b c d African Elections Database 2012.
- ^ Budeli & Mangu 2013, p. 140.
- ^ CEI 2007.
- ^ Budeli & Mangu 2013, p. 142.
- ^ "Democratic Republic of the Congo National Assembly December 2018 | Election results | Democratic Republic of the Congo". IPU Parline: global data on national parliaments. Retrieved 6 April 2025.
- ^ "RDC : Liste des Élus à la Députation national" [DRC: List of Elected Members of the National Assembly] (in French). CENI. Retrieved 19 March 2025.
Sources
Journal articles
- Budeli, Mpfariseni; Mangu, Andre Mbata B. (2013). "Towards democratic consolidation in Africa? A look at the 28 November 2011 elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo". International Journal of Liability and Scientific Enquiry. 6 (1/2/3): 132. doi:10.1504/IJLSE.2013.057755. ISSN 1741-6426.
- Reyntjens, Filip (2007). "Briefing: Democratic Republic of Congo: Political Transition and Beyond". African Affairs. 106 (423): 307–317. doi:10.1093/afraf/adm018. ISSN 0001-9909. JSTOR 4496443.
- Vander Weyden, Patrick (1 June 2007). "Founding Elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo: A Highly Fragmented Party System". Journal of African Elections. 6 (1): 203–218. doi:10.20940/jae/2007/v6i1a10. ISSN 1609-4700.
News and magazine articles
- "A Changing Political Landscape in the DRC". Institute for Security Studies. 11 May 2011.
- "Profile: Congo opposition candidates". BBC News. 25 July 2006.
Reports
- "DECISION N° 001/CEI/BUR/07 DU 20 JANVIER 2007 PORTANT ANNONCE DES RESULTATS PROVISOIRES DE L'ELECTION DES SENATEURS DU 19 JANVIER 2007 EN REPUBLIQUE DEMOCRATIQUE DU CONGO" [DECISION NO. 001/CEI/BUR/07 OF 20 JANUARY 2007 ANNOUNCING THE RESULTS PROVISIONAL ELECTION OF SENATORS OF 19 JANUARY 2007 IN THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO] (PDF) (in French). Commission Électorale Indépendante de République Democratique du Congo. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 June 2007.
Websites
- "Elections in Congo-Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of the Congo)". African Elections Database. 10 October 2012.