"I accept with humility this heavy responsibility," Katumbi said in a
statement posted on his official Twitter account, referring to his
nomination for the presidency by three opposition coalitions in recent
weeks.
Moise Katumbi, arrives for a two-day mineral conference in Goma March 24, 2014.
Moise Katumbi, a prominent opposition leader in Democratic Republic of Congo, said on Wednesday he would run in November's presidential election when incumbent Joseph Kabila is due to step down in accordance with the constitution.
Kabila's
opponents say he is trying to cling to power beyond his mandate and
Katumbi's declaration could heighten political tension, given that the
president has yet to announce his plans.
More than
40 people were killed in protests in January 2015 over alleged attempts
by Kabila to delay the presidential vote to remain in office.
"I accept with humility this heavy responsibility,"
Katumbi said in a statement posted on his official Twitter account,
referring to his nomination for the presidency by three opposition
coalitions in recent weeks.
The election will likely be delayed since the election commission says updating voter rolls will take about 16 months.
Katumbi
is a multimillionaire and former governor of Katanga, a copper mining
region. His announcement had been expected for months but was delayed as
he tried to win support from a fractious opposition.
Katumbi
governed Katanga from 2007 until last September when he quit Kabila's
party, accusing it of plotting to extend the president's rule, which
began in 2001.
Wednesday's declaration appeared to
be aimed at showing he would not bow to political pressure. Tensions
have risen in recent weeks between Katumbi's camp and the government. In
April, police used tear gas to disperse a rally led by Katumbi in the
country's second-largest city, Lubumbashi, and arrested four of his
bodyguards.
On Wednesday, Justice Minister Alexis
Thambwe ordered a probe into Katumbi's alleged recruitment of
mercenaries. The government "has proof of ... Katumbi's involvement in the recruitment of mercenaries, including several retired American soldiers," he said.
In his statement on Twitter, Katumbi replied: "The low blows of the government do not hinder my peaceful combat. I will be the candidate of the rule of law."
Katumbi
has yet to win the support of the largest opposition parties, including
Etienne Tshisekedi's Union for Democracy and Social Progress. Katumbi
said in the statement he would soon begin a national tour to develop a
common opposition platform.
Congo has never
undergone a peaceful transition of power. The former Belgian colony was
ruled for decades by Mobutu Sese Seko and since then eastern Congo has
been plagued by war and instability.
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