Kabila Says Congo Won’t Bow To Foreign ‘Injunctions’

Joseph Kabila Kabange, President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, addresses the 69th United Nations General Assembly at the U.N. headquarters in New York

The president of Democratic Republic of Congo, Joseph Kabila,  told foreign nations on Monday to respect his country’s sovereignty after they severally urged him to comply with the constitution and not to run for re-election. Reuters was there:

Though Joseph Kabila has yet to publicly declare his intentions, Congo is rife with speculation that he is looking for ways to remain in charge of the vast, mineral-rich nation after his second elected five-year term in office ends in 2016.

“We are always open to the opinions, advice and suggestions of our partners, but never to injunctions,” Kabila said during a rare public speech before a joint session of parliament.

Kabila came to power in 2001 when his father, Laurent, was assassinated in the middle of a conflict that sucked in regional armies are killed millions of Congolese.

He steered Congo to post-war elections in 2006 and won re-election in 2011, although the second vote was marred by complaints of widespread irregularities. Congo’s constitution currently limits presidents to two elected terms in office.

Senior U.S. officials have already publicly called on Kabila not to alter the constitution in order to hold onto power.