Senator Salomon Kalonda Idi Della of the Democratic Republic of the Congo delivered a bold address in Addis-Abeba on Friday during the Parliamentary Forum on Intelligence and Security. The forum focused on electoral integrity and democracy across Africa, with the DRC serving as a central case study in his remarks.

The senator warned against what he termed ‘constitutional coups’, drawing parallels to ongoing processes in his country that he argues are designed to enable the current president to seek a third term—violating constitutional limits. ‘The opposition and civil society have risen. Citizens took to the streets… Protesters were killed. Blood has once again flowed on Congolese soil,’ he declared.

He condemned the international community’s silence, describing it not as neutrality but as ‘complicity’ in undermining democratic norms. ‘There are no good coups and bad coups,’ he asserted, urging African nations and global partners to treat all unconstitutional power grabs equally, regardless of their legal facade.

Highlighting structural flaws in African elections, Kalonda pointed to the lack of independence in electoral commissions, politically motivated disqualifications of popular candidates, and internet shutdowns during vote tallies—‘an admission of distrust in one’s own results.’

To strengthen electoral integrity, the senator proposed four key measures:

• A permanent African task force dedicated to election monitoring;
• Investment in African digital sovereignty for electoral processes;
• Transparent and inclusive audits to build public trust;
• A parliamentary protocol for pre-election observation covering voter registration to result certification.

He also addressed the mining sector, arguing that the absence of genuine democracy puts Western economic partners at a disadvantage against competitors who do not adhere to the same democratic standards.