Youth political gatherings in DRC and Côte d’Ivoire emphasize participation and party renewal

The Network of Young Parliamentarians (RJP) convened a three‑day forum in Kinshasa from 2‑4 June, gathering members of the National Youth Council, student organisations, religious movements and NGOs to discuss the proposed referendum law and broader democratic reforms. Deputy Ron Roger Étienne Bimwala stressed the importance of incorporating youth perspectives into the country’s institutional debate and pledged to maintain a permanent dialogue mechanism.

On 4 June, the League of Youth of the African Peoples' Party (PPA‑CI) held its congress at the party headquarters in Cocody, Abidjan, despite heavy rain. Delegates from across Côte d’Ivoire voted to renew the youth leadership, with eleven candidates competing for the secretary‑general position. The meeting forms part of a broader renewal after President Laurent Gbagbo dissolved the party’s previous governing bodies.