UN official warns of risk of delays in electoral process in DRC

UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- The UN undersecretary-general for peacekeeping operations on Tuesday warned of the risk of delays in the electoral process in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

"Further delays in the electoral process not only risk fueling political tensions but also compounding an already fragile security situation," Jean-Pierre Lacroix told the Security Council.

In recent months, armed groups in eastern DRC have launched repeated attacks on government troops, inflicting losses on the armed forces and capturing resource-rich territories, he said.

These attacks, taking place in a context of competition for natural resources and continued inter-communal violence, are often fueled by local political actors seeking to take advantage of the current situation, said Lacroix.

The killing of 15 Tanzanian peacekeepers of Monusco and wounding of 44 others on Dec. 7 was the latest in a string of deadly attacks perpetrated by suspected ADF elements, he said.

It is essential that all political actors in the DRC play a constructive role in the implementation of the electoral calendar that was announced on Nov. 5 by the electoral commission, he said.

The coming months will be critical in preserving the collective investment made by international, regional and national actors in stabilizing the DRC over the past two decades and preparing the ground for the consolidation of peace and stability in the country and the wider region, said Lacroix.

A political agreement on Dec. 31, 2016 allowed President Joseph Kabila, who has been in power since 2001, to stay on after his term of office expired, on the condition that elections would be held within 2017. But elections were delayed on the grounds of logistics. On Nov. 5, 2017, the country's electoral commission published an electoral calendar for the combined presidential, legislative and provincial elections for Dec. 23, 2018. Enditem