Fumbling Towards Democracy

There's bafflement at the latest development in the Democratic Republic of Congo, as a man who apparently doesn't exist is appointed to the cabinet. It's all part of some bizarre gambit from a real party leader as the different sides thrash out who should take the ministerial jobs. It seems all he wanted was to make sure he was offered one. All very amusing.

On the face of it, it's another chaotic political episode in the massive and war-ravaged DRC, which used to be called Zaire. But it's actually a sign of how far things have moved on in recent months. Following the surprisingly successful elections last year, the country looks like it's now at its most stable and peaceful since independence almost half a century ago (then, elections were quickly followed by civil war). If an imaginary minister is the biggest thing they've got to worry about, it's good news all round.