In an unexpected turn of events within the pageantry world, the Miss Universe Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) organization has officially announced a change in representation for the upcoming Miss Universe 2025 competition. Earlier this week, Déborah Djema, who had recently been crowned as Miss Universe DRC 2025, stepped down from her title following disagreements with the organization over the terms of her contract. According to official statements, Djema deemed the contract inappropriate and opted not to proceed under the conditions presented to her.
Following Djema’s exit, the Miss Universe DRC committee swiftly appointed Dorcas Dienda as the new titleholder. Dienda is no stranger to the pageant world, having previously won the Miss Africa Calabar crown in 2019. Her return to the spotlight has sparked discussions across the national and continental pageant community, especially considering she was not part of the original line-up of finalists from the recent Miss Universe DRC competition. The decision to bypass the 1st and 2nd runners-up in favor of Dienda has raised questions. In their statement, the organizing committee clarified that both the 1st and 2nd runners-up are scheduled to participate in upcoming international pageants. However, the specific pageants they are being assigned to have not yet been disclosed, leaving speculation in the air regarding the future plans of the original finalists.
Dorcas Dienda is now set to represent the Democratic Republic of Congo at the 74th Miss Universe pageant, which will take place in Thailand this November. As the nation looks ahead to the prestigious competition, many eyes will be on Dienda’s preparation and how this sudden switch in representation will impact the country's performance and perception on the global stage.
