Felix Tshisekedi sworn-in as DRC's newest president

 Democratic Republic of Congo's Felix Tshisekedi has just been sworn in as president. His election makes the first time the country has seen a peaceful handover of power following the chaos surrounding the elections.

Félix Tshisekedi sits beside outgoing president Joseph Kabila during his inauguration ceremony, January 24th 2019 REUTERS/ Olivia Acland

A moment of drama presented itself during the inauguration ceremony when Tshisekedi took ill during his speech.

After a 12-minute interruption, he returned to the microphone to say “a famous president of our country said in his time: ‘understand my emotion’.”

It was in reference to the dictator and often still revered figure of Mobutu Seke Seko.

Outgoing leader Joseph Kabila, after 18 years of power, stepped aside as Tshisekedi took oath on Thursday before receiving the national flag and a copy of the constitution from the former president.

Thousands of his supporters, many dressed in white, celebrated the moment outside the Palace of the Nation, the head of the presidency.

The ceremony put to rest two years of often violent and deadly clashes sparked by Kabila’s initial refusal to step down after reaching the constitutional limit on his term in office.

The presidential election, held on December 30th last year, was held after three postponements.

Tshisekedi was declared a winner with 38.5 percent of the vote with his party the UDPS, while his opposition Martin Fayulu received 34.8 percent, sparking a post-vote situation.

Fayulu called the final result fixed, but lost his appeal at the Constitutional Court and through the lack of international support for his cause.

All eyes are on Tshisekedi as he has never held high office and has not yet captured the same level of popularity as his late father, Etienne Tshisekedi who founded the UDPS in 1980.

After being sworn-in, one of the first items on the agenda for the new president will be to appoint a prime minister.