In 2018, Joseph Kabila, generally seen as an authoritarian leader, agreed to step down as President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and hold a presidential election. In that election, most of the opposition coalesced around the candidacy of Martin Fayulu. When votes were announced, however, a surprise victory was awarded to Félix Tshisekedi, a less-popular opposition candidate. International and domestic observers generally concluded that Kabila, knowing a candidate from his own party would lack credibility, had brokered a deal with Tshisekedi and successfully rigged the election in his favor, and against Fayulu. For the first two years of his term as President, Tshisekedi governed in alliance with Kabila’s legislative faction, while much of the international community continued to support Fayulu and declare the Tshisekedi government illegitimate. In late 2020, Tshisekedi announced he was dissolving his alliance with Kabila’s party and attempting to form a new government comprised of various opposition groups.