Opposition parties form new coalition

Opposition parties in the DRC have formed a coalition that will back Moise Katumbi’s candidacy for President in December's scheduled elections. The announcement – which was made in Johannesburg last week – marks the start of what’s expected to be a series of declarations by candidates seeking to challenge President Joseph Kabila, who has ruled the central African nation for 17 years. 'I call for unity among the opposition because we have to work together, hand in hand, to go towards free and transparent elections,' Katumbi said. BusinessLIVE reports that the new group will be known as Ensemble pour le Changement. The DRC, Africa’s biggest copper producer and the world’s largest source of cobalt, has not had a peaceful transfer of power since independence almost six decades ago.