Lawmakers in the Democratic Republic of Congo have passed a historic no confidence vote on Prime Minister Sylvestre Ilunga Ilukamba, effectively removing him from power.

Embattled Ilukamba, who was not present at the parliament’s plenary session in the Kinshasa chambers, has been given 24 hours to resign.

The lawmakers accuse Ilukamba, an ally of former President Joseph Kabila, and his ministers of poor performance. The dismissal follows a motion of no confidence filed against the prime minister and his incapability to manage the country since the installation of the government seven months after President Felix Tshisekedi assumed leadership of the country.

This prolapse in government paves the way for President Félix Tshisekedi to appoint loyalists as ministers.

Only last month, Tshisekedi ended a coalition formed with his predecessor, whose allies dominated key ministries.

Since then, Tshisekedi has been persuading MPs to defect from Mr Kabila’s alliance, which previously held the majority in parliament, stalling the president’s reform programme.

This will be the first time in DR Congo’s 60-year history that a government is being forced to resign.

The vote to dismiss the government took place in the absence of the prime minister, who refused to respond to the invitation of the provisional office of parliament.

The prime minister’s impeachment garnered a large majority of votes in the absence of MPs loyal to ex-President Joseph Kabila who decided not to take part in the vote.

According to members of the Front Commun pour le Congo (FCC, a pro-Kabila party), the provisional office does not have the capacity to organise the vote, going by the constitution.

In a letter addressed to members of the provisional office of parliament and to deputies on Wednesday morning, Sylvestre Ilunga stressed that the proceedings against his government have violated the country’s constitution and the rule of law.

Appointed by the president in May 2019, Ilunkamba was the head of the coalition government set up by ex-president Joseph Kabila and Felix Tshisekedi to govern together after the elections at the end of 2018.

Felix Tshisekedi has since December 2020, announced the end of the coalition and begun a series of consultations to find a new majority in parliament.

He accuses Joseph Kabila’s former partners of wanting to sabotage his action as the head of the country since his inauguration.

An interesting end to the group games at the African Nations Championship saw the two sides of the River Congo qualify for the quarterfinals.

Democratic Republic of Congo, two-time champions, proved their mettle as they defeated Niger in the third group game to lead the pack with seven points.

Their brothers from Brazzaville also defeated Libya to finish the group as the second-best team with four points.

Congo DR will face hosts Cameroon in a tricky quarterfinal encounter on Saturday while the Republic of Congo will square up against group A leaders, Mali.

In group C, Morocco came from behind to thrash the Cranes of Uganda 5-2 to finish the group with 7 points while the Amavubi of Rwanda sent the streets of Kigali into rapture with a 3-2 victory against the Sparrowhawks of Togo.

Both final group games of group C gave 12 goals as the CHAN came to life.

Morocco will face Zambia, who came second in group D after a 0-0 final day draw against Namibia. Rwanda have set up a quarter-final clash against Guinea in what promises to be an interesting affair in Cameroon.

President Edgar Lungu of Zambia has removed 246 inmates, who were on death row, and commutated their sentences to life sentences.

Minister of Home Affairs, Stephen Kampyongo, on Wednesday, said that among the inmates includes 225 males and 21 females.

He announced the commuting of the sentences during an event held at Mukobeko Maximum Prison in central Zambia’s Kabwe town which was streamed live on Facebook.

He made the clemency of death to life sentences for over 500 after 332 inmates had their sentences commutated in 2015.

He said the commutation of sentences of inmates would help decongest the section of condemned inmates at the prison which was meant for 50 people but now has over 400 inmates.

The move, he said, was also meant to protect inmates from contracting COVID-19.

In spite of the death penalty being on the country’s statutes, Zambia has not carried out any execution since 1997.