Tshikedi took the oath of office followed by a presentation of the symbols of state to the new Head of State who, shortly afterwards, addressed the many personalities and the huge crowd present at the ceremony.
According to the programme, the last act at the ceremony will be the one-to-one meeting between Felix Tshiékédi and his predecessor Joseph Kabila, who will pass the baton to him after 18 years as president of the DRC.
Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta was the only African leader present at the ceremony, with the reported 16 other invited leaders represented by vice-presidents or ministers.
Tshisékédi, president of the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS), an old opposition party he inherited from his late father Etienne Tshisékédi, won the presidential election on December 30 with 38.57 percent of the votes.