President Kabila has appointed a new prime minister to succeed Antoine Gizenga. He has chosen Adolphe Muzito. Crucially, Muzito is from the PALU party, which indicates that the accord between Kabila’s AMP and PALU still holds. The UDEMO party is likely to be given the position of Vice PM or Minister of State, something which again would be consistent with the agreement.

Mr Muzito was the Budget Minister in the outgoing government.

The new prime minister and the president will now work to nominate a new government. So, in response to the constitutional crisis that was brewing over what appeared to be Prime Minister Gizenga’s individual resignation, it would appear as if the government has been taken to have resigned collectively as well.

The government is currently facing a serious outbreak of violence in the east of the country near the Rwanda border. The rebellion is led by General Laurent Nkunda.