Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Kinshasa (Agenzia Fides)- The President of Democratic Republic of Congo Joseph Kabila and vice president Jean-Pierre Bemba, candidates in a second round of presidential elections met yesterday 13 September for a two hour conversation, the first meeting since fighting broke out between their respective troops in August in which at least 23 were killed.
Fear of possible resuming conflict in the capital Kinshasa is still high according to a statement issued by the International Transition Monitoring Committee. The Committee, composed of members of the member countries of the UN Security Council and other African and European countries, said too many weapons are still in circulation in Kinshasa.
The Committee said the up-coming presidential and provincial elections demand a peaceful electoral campaign and the consigning to barracks of all military units not directly involved in guaranteeing national security .
In the statement the Committee recalls that not the army but the national police force has the duty to ensure security for the elections, and that the duty of the army is to defend the country from foreign threats. The presence of irregular armed groups in main cities is not to be tolerated. The Committee calls for the special guards of the two main candidates Kabila and Bemba to be confined to barracks to avoid episodes like those in late August and calls on local political leaders to promote and respect measures to ensure a peaceful vote.
The local Catholic Church in Congo has also reminded political leaders of their duty. “The people have assimilated the principles of democracy and taken part in a peaceful and orderly election on 31 July. It is the political leaders who fail to come to any agreement and so increase tension” Fides was told by Bishop Pierre-Célestin Tshitoko Mambai of Luebo, presently in Rome for in the Study Seminar 10-23 September organised by the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples for bishops in mission territories ordained in the past two years. “The people of Congo hope that from these elections will emerge a leadership able to lead the country to peace and development” said Bishop Tshitoko. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 14/9/2006 righe 34 parole 395)
