The Democratic Republic of Congo announced a new government on Wednesday, ending more than five months of deadlock following the re-election of President Felix Tshisekedi.
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Tshisekedi faces a second term in elections in late 2023, with his Holy Union coalition winning a majority in parliament.
However, internal personnel disputes have delayed the formation of a new Cabinet.
The announcement of the new government came less than two weeks after the army said it had thwarted a coup attempt in the capital, Kinshasa, when armed men stormed a minister's home before entering the Palais de la Nation, where Tshisekedi's offices are located.
The incident also comes at a time of renewed fighting in eastern DRC, where the Congolese army is trying to retake territory recaptured by Rwanda-backed M23 (23 March) rebels.
The new cabinet has 54 ministers compared with 57 in the previous cabinet, a smaller-than-expected reduction in staffing despite pressure to cut costs.
Guy Kabombo Muadiambita has been appointed minister of defence, a key post at a time when the Democratic Republic of Congo is facing a serious security crisis in the east.
Muadia Mbita is a lawyer and former editor-in-chief of Congo's Official Gazette, the official journal that records legal acts.
Dudu Fwamba Likunde was appointed finance minister, while Kizito Pakabomba was appointed to oversee the ministry of mines and Congo's globally significant reserves of coltan, copper and other minerals.
Presidential communications director Eric Nindu said the delay in forming a government was due to the parties in the ruling coalition taking time to find a compromise.
(with newswire)
