Congolese Prime Minister Samy Badibanga (pictured) resigned on April 7, 2017 as part of a power-sharing deal brokered by President Joseph Kabila with the opposition (AFP Photo/JUNIOR D.KANNAH)

Kinshasa (AFP) - President Joseph Kabila on Friday named an opposition leader as prime minister for the Democratic Republic of Congo, honouring a pledge made as part of a stalled power-sharing deal agreed in December. Nomination 'departure from accord'

Tshibala was expelled from the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS), Congo's largest opposition party, last month after he contested the designation of successors to veteran leader Etienne Tshisekedi, who died in February.
President Joseph Kabila appoints Bruno Tshibala of the Union for Democracy and Social Progress as the Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Kabila's earlier announcement of his decision to appoint a new prime minister prompted Samy Badibanga to resign from the role after less than five months in office.