But as the United Nations Security Council prepares to take up the matter today, the varied responses to the announcement from the electoral commission show it’s far from universally accepted.

The African Union congratulates the Congolese people on the peaceful election that will give the DRC the first democratic change of President in its history.

The European Union, by contrast says its waiting to peruse results from different observer missions.

France and Belgium have joined Catholic bishops in casting doubt on the provisional outcome giving Felix Tshisekedi victory.

Martin Fayulu, the man they believe actually won, denounces what he calls an electoral coup and says he’ll take his objections to the Constitutional Court that must now determined the final result.

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Opposition coalition candidate Martin Fayulu who was a clear favourite in pre-election opinion polls has called the outcome an electoral coup.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves le Drian calls for calm in the Democratic Republic of Congo and for certainty with results which are the reverse of what was expected.

Losing governing coalition candidate Emmanuel Shadary accepts that Felix Tshisekedi beat him for the Presidency.

However Martin Fayulu, who was widely expected to win the race, says the results were fabricated in the offices of the ruling coalition and don’t reflect the reality of the ballot box.

Fayulu fears they will spark disturbances across the country. 

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He urges the commission know as CENI to complete the process to ensure the credibility of the election and maintaining stability.

Diplomats note that President Cyril Ramaphosa has not congratulated Felix Tshisekedi who was named as Congo’s next president.

Ramaphosa’s playing his cards cautiously. South Africa’s  increasingly drawn into the DRC imbroglio given its mediation history in that country.

He too is waiting for the Catholic bishops to comment on the provisional results that pre-election favorite Martin Fayulu has called an electoral coup.

South Africa will be in the spotlight at the United Nations Security Council tomorrow.

France has called  for the meeting on the DRC and its Foreign Minister Yves le Drian says the provisional results from the DRC don’t tally with results from polling stations.

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