Engagement for Citizenship and Development
Engagement for Citizenship and Development (French: Engagement pour la Citoyenneté et le Développement, ECIDE) is a political party in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The party was founded in 2009 and is led by its founder Martin Fayulu.[2]
Engagement for Citizenship and Development Engagement pour la citoyenneté et le développement | |
|---|---|
| President | Martin Fayulu |
| General Secretary | Devos Kitoko Mulenda |
| First Vice President | Jean-Baptiste Kasekwa Muhindo |
| Founder | Martin Fayulu |
| Founded | 9 March 2009 |
| Headquarters | Kinshasa |
| Ideology | Social Liberalism[1] |
| National affiliation | Lamuka |
| Seats in the National Assembly | 0 / 484
|
| Seats in the Senate | 0 / 109
|
History
editFounding
editThe party was formed in 2009 by businessman and oil executive Martin Fayulu, who had been elected as Member of the National Assembly in 2006.[3] The party won two seats in the National Assembly in the 2011 Democratic Republic of the Congo general election.[4]
2018 elections
editIn 2018, the party was one of the founding members of the Lamuka coalition, that promised to unite the opposition in advance of the 2018 Democratic Republic of the Congo general election. Infighting lead to multiple opposition leaders, including Félix Tshisekedi, leaving the coalition. The party ran under the label Dynamic of the Opposition in the 2018 election.[5] According to officially published results, its leader Martin Fayulu finished second in the presidential elections behind Félix Tshisekedi. Independent observers, including the Episcopal Conference of the Democratic Republic of the Congo claim that Fayulu won the elections.[6] Fayulu proclaimed himself victor of the presidential elections and called on his supporters to protest against the official results.[7]
Candidates running under the "Dynamic of the Opposition" label won eight out of the 500 seats in the National Assembly.[8]
After the 2018 elections
editSupporters and office holders of ECIDE were targeted by supporters of the government after the 2018 election and in the run-up of the 2023 Democratic Republic of the Congo general election.[2] The party called for a boycott of the elections at first, but later presented Martin Fayulu as its presidential candidate, but didn't run any candidates in the parliamentary election.[9] After the election Fayulu and other opposition leaders called for protests against the election results and alleged fraud.[10] Protests by ECIDE supporters were suppressed by the police.[11]
In a 2024 extraordinary conference, former Member of the National Assembly Jean-Baptiste Kasekwa Muhindo was elected first vice-president of the party.[12]
During the second term of president Félix Tshisekedi, the party allied with supporters of former president Joseph Kabila to fight against government plans to amend the Constitution of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.[13]
Election performance
editPresidential Elections
edit| Year | Candidate | Votes | % | Rank | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Martin Fayulu | 6,366,732 | 34.82% | 2nd | Lost |
| 2023 | 875,336 | 4.92% | 3rd  |
Lost |
National Assembly
edit| Year[4][8] | Leader | Seats | +/− | Votes | % | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Martin Fayulu | 2 / 500 |
 2 |
[data missing] | [data missing] | Opposition |
| 2018 | 8 / 500 |
6 |
[data missing] | [data missing] | Opposition | |
| 2023 | 0 / 484 |
8 |
Didn't participate | Extra-Parliamentary | ||
References
edit- ↑ "Présidentielle en RDC : l'opposition choisit Martin Fayulu comme candidat unique" (in French). 2018-11-12. Retrieved 2026-03-25.
- 1 2 "COI Query - DRC: treatment of members of the Engagement for Citizenship and Development (Engagement pour la Citoyenneté et le Développement, ECIDé) political group by the state | European Union Agency for Asylum". www.euaa.europa.eu. 2024-03-25. Retrieved 2026-03-25.
- ↑ "Martin Fayulu, Politician, Congo DRC | Africa World Initiative". africaworld.princeton.edu. Retrieved 2026-03-25.
- 1 2 "Elections in Congo-Kinshasa - 28 November 2011 National Assembly Election". African Elections Database. 2012. Retrieved 2026-03-25.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "DRC opposition unity under threat". dw.com. Retrieved 2026-03-25.
- ↑ Stearns, Jason (2019-01-16). "Who really won the Congolese elections?". Congo Research Group | Groupe d'étude sur le Congo -. Retrieved 2026-03-25.
- ↑ "Congo's Fayulu declares himself president". dw.com. Retrieved 2026-03-25.
- 1 2 "Democratic Republic of the Congo National Assembly December 2018 Election | Election results | Democratic Republic of the Congo". IPU Parline: global data on national parliaments. Retrieved 2026-03-25.
- ↑ "DR Congo: A Full Plate of Challenges after a Turbulent Vote | International Crisis Group". www.crisisgroup.org. 2024-01-26. Retrieved 2026-03-25.
- ↑ "DRC: Government bans protest against election". dw.com. Retrieved 2026-03-25.
- ↑ "Congo: Protesters, police clash as instability grows in east". dw.com. Retrieved 2026-03-25.
- ↑ "Jean-Baptiste Kasekwa Muhindo nommé Premier Vice-président, Martin Fayulu renforce l'équipe dirigeante de l'ECIDE". Actualite.cd (in French). 2024-08-21. Retrieved 2026-03-25.
- ↑ "RDC : au siège du pprd à Lubumbashi, les partis de l'opposition dont Ensemble, Ecidé et Envol mobilisent pour dire non au changement de la Constitution". Actualite.cd (in French). 2024-11-30. Retrieved 2026-03-25.