UN calls on Congo to ensure credible and timely elections

The U.N. Security Council is calling on Congo to hold credible, inclusive and timely elections as soon as possible.

In a press statement issued Monday, the council said it remained concerned about the risk for destabilization in Congo and in the region, but said it welcomed commitments to respect and preserve the constitution in letter and spirit, without specifying who made them.

President Joseph Kabila’s second term in office expires next month, but Congo’s courts have ruled that the election of a new president can be delayed and that Kabila can stay in power until a new leader is chosen.

Anger over the delay has sparked violence including street clashes in September that killed dozens.

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