Bishops from the Democratic Republic of Congo have made an urgent appeal for peace, amid fears that political violence could escalate as the country’s elections are postponed.
"Blocking the electoral process creates a worrying situation which risks plunging the country into chaos," said Father Léonard Santedi, Secretary General of the Catholic Bishops Conference in the DR Congo.
“The country is facing a deteriorating socio-economic and security situation, particularly in areas like eastern DR Congo. At this important moment, we urge political leaders to take action to ensure that violence and bloodshed are averted,” Father Santedi said ahead of a visit to the United Kingdom this week.
The Congolese electoral commission announced that the country’s Presidential Elections, due in November 2016, will have to be delayed until July next year due to logistical problems in registering more than 30 million voters, and because of a lack of funds.
The opposition has long expressed concern that incumbent president Joseph Kabila is delaying the elections in order to change the constitution and remain in power beyond his mandate, which ends in December.
Kabila, who has held power since 2001, is currently barred from running for a third term under the Democratic Republic of Congo's constitution.
Frustration is escalating amongst opposition parties, which have been calling for on-time, free and fair elections.
In May, a key opposition leader, Moise Katumbi, was charged by the government with plotting a coup hours after announcing he would run for presidency.
The opposition coalition, recently formed by popular opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi, urged a national strike as the delay to the elections was announced in August. The opposition coalition has also refused to take part in recent talks on a new electoral timetable.
On Monday (12 September), a minority opposition party walked out of the negotiations saying that it cannot agree with the ruling party’s demand for local elections before the presidential pol.
"We have suspended our participation because the positions were diametrically opposed," opposition representative Samy Badibanga told Reuters.
A spokesperson for the ruling coalition said the walk out was just a negotiating tactic and that the talks were not over.
Since Belgian Congo won independence from Belgium in 1960, there has never been a peaceful, democratic transition of power. Diplomats and observers fear the political crisis could trigger a repeat of civil wars that killed millions of people between 1996 and 2003, Reuters has reported.
Father Santedi appealed to the International community to support the DR Congo in finding a solution to the political situation, and to back a democratic election process.
"It is imperative that we respect the constitution, particularly regarding the number and duration of mandates of the president of the Republic” added Father Santedi.
“The situation in the DRC is extremely precarious and the risk of political violence is extremely high. We support the Bishops’ urgent call for peace and democracy at this time,” said Fergus Conmee, Head of Africa Programmes at Catholic aid agency CAFOD.
The Democratic Republic of Congo, home to 68 million people, has immense mineral wealth and natural resources.
US congress called for targeted sanctions to be imposed on officials in the Kabila government, including visa bans and asset freezes, until the President publicly commits to a peaceful transition of power, in June.
Nearly four million people have been killed, and an estimated half a million women and girls victims have been subjected to extreme sexual violence carried out by armed groups, during nearly a decade of civil war.
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