President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Felix Tshisekedi gestures as he delivers a speech on the sidelines of his first visit as new DRCongo President in Luanda, northwestern Angola, on February 5, 2019. / AFP
BRAZZAVILLE, Republic of Congo: Congo's new president is urging tens of thousands of political exiles to come home.
President Felix Tshisekedi made the plea on Friday during a visit to neighboring Republic of Congo, where many fled under the 17-year rule of former leader Joseph Kabila.
Tshisekedi, an opposition leader who last month was declared the winner of a disputed election, says everyone will be needed to move Congo forward.
He has inherited a vast, troubled nation after the election that was delayed by more than two years as many feared that Kabila would try to stay in power.
One exile, a journalist, says he had fled for his safety years ago but now believes his "long ordeal" may soon come to an end. Another exile calls this the "long-awaited moment."
