Zambia Urges DRC To Maintain Peace

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Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Joseph Malanji has presented a thorough report to the United Nations Security Council sitting at the United Nations Headquarters.

Hon. Malanji called for continued upholding of peace until all processes regarding the general elections were completed.

 

He noted the provisional results released by CENI.

He also urged parties that were aggrieved to resolve the dispute using legal and constitutional means.

Others who presented briefs and reports included CENI, the Church, and the African Union.

Hon Malanji was speaking in his capacity as Chairperson of the Ministerial Committee of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation and as Chief SADC Observer Mission to the DRC.

 

Below is the full presentation.

Chairperson of the Ministerial Committee of the of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence, Security Cooperation

Report to the United Nations Security Council by Hon. Joseph Malanji, Chairperson of the Ministerial Committee of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation and Chief Observer Mission of the SADC Mission in DRC

On 30th December 2018, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) held their much awaited for Presidential, Legislative and Provincial Elections. Following its long standing tradition, the Southern African Development Community deployed its Election Observation Mission (SEOM) which I had the honour of leading.

 

The elections were postponed from 23rd December 2018 following an unfortunate fire that gutted the warehouse of the Independent National Election Commission (CENI) in the capital city of Kinshasa.

Security threats and an outbreak of the Ebola virus also necessitated the postponement of elections on three areas in Eastern DRC, to March 2019. Further, there were isolated incidences of violence in a few areas of the country.

These circumstances understandably created some element of tension leading up to election-day on 30th December 2018.

 

Notwithstanding the above and the historical challenges facing the country, our considered view is that the Government of the DRC, CENI, and all stakeholders managed the election, and the immediate post-election period relatively peacefully and in a calm atmosphere.

In addition, we note that the Government of the DRC funded the elections thus showing its commitment to consolidate the democratic process in the country.

 

SADC has taken note of the release of the provisional results of the Presidential Election by CENI on 9 January 2019. We also note that, there are some stakeholders who are not satisfied with the outcome of the Presidential Election in particular, and that it is within their constitutional rights to present their grievances through the legal framework of the DRC, and through peaceful means.

SADC remains on hand to assist the people of the DRC in the process of consolidating their democracy and urges the international community to give the stakeholders in the country an opportunity to engage themselves and their legal institutions in the post-election period.

We should to emphasize that we have noted that concerned stakeholders to remain calm and act in a way that consolidates democracy and preserves peace.

 

SADC calls upon all stakeholders with concerns, including regarding the accuracy of the results, to pursue any election dispute about the provisional results, peacefully, through avenues provided by the existing national legal framework, and resolve their differences through political dialogue among all stakeholders.

 

SADC reaffirms its commitment to continue to assist the DRC with respect to neutralising the negative forces and other armed groups operating in Eastern DRC.

Hon. Joseph Malanji, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Zambia

 

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