UN Security Council calls for end to violence in DR Congo

The UN Security Council on Tuesday called for an end to the violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) that erupted after the release of first-round presidential election results on Sunday, and urged the two leading candidates in the polls to resolve their differences peacefully.

In a statement to the press, the council demanded that the Congolese political leadership "exercise restraint and immediately implement the cease-fire agreed between their forces and henceforth refrain from any threats or use of force or intimidation against political opponents or their supporters."

Echoing remarks made by Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who had earlier made a similar call for an end to the violence, the council expressed the hope that a proposed meeting between President Joseph Kabila and Vice President Jean-Pierre Bemba would be held as soon as possible.

"There can be no military solution to political issues in the DRC," said the statement, which urged all parties "to take immediate steps to support the democratic process that is underway."

The Security Council also "appealed to political leaders to respect the electoral calendar as established by the Independent Electoral Commission." Run-off elections between Kabila, who received 44.8 percent of the vote, and Bemba, who garnered 20 percent, are scheduled to be held on Oct. 29.

The statement was issued after the council held informal council consultations as forces loyal to Kabila and others backing Bemba signed a deal late Tuesday to withdraw from the center of the city after two days of heavy fighting.

Source: Xinhua