UN chief urges all political groups to join National Dialogue in DRC

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday urged all the political groups to join in on newly launched talks in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), saying that "only an inclusive political dialogue will help pave the way towards peaceful and credible elections" in the country.

The secretary-general took note of the launching of the National Dialogue in the DRC on Sept. 1, said a statement issued here.

"He remains convinced that only an inclusive political dialogue will help pave the way towards peaceful and credible elections, in accordance with Security Council Resolution 2277 (2016)," the statement said.

"The secretary-general urges the political groups who have not yet joined the dialogue process to play a constructive role which contributes to the holding of timely and credible elections," the statement said.

"He encourages the government to continue confidence-building measures and to uphold the fundamental rights and freedoms enshrined in the Constitution with a view towards establishing an atmosphere conducive to credible dialogue," said the statement. "He urges all actors to refrain from any action that could increase tensions or lead to violence."

The National Dialogue kicked off on Thursday between the DRC government and opposition groups in a bid to avoid political chaos in the country, but many opposition figures were absent from the long-awaited talks. Endi