15 October 2017•Update: 15 October 2017
By Godfrey Olukya
ARU, Democratic Republic of Congo
The presidents of the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Africa have voiced their commitment to consolidate the achievements of democracy and security in the region.
Congo’s Joseph Kabila and his visiting South African counterpart, Jacob Zuma, on Sunday spoke about their determination to consolidate the achievements of democracy, stability, security and prosperity for the peoples of the region, reported UN Radio in Democratic Republic of Congo.
Zuma is paying a two-day visit in his role as chair of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) inter-governmental organization, and as the country faces a political crisis over Kabila stalling elections in which he might lose his position.
The UN said that in the capital Kinshasa, the two presidents discussed improving the political, security, and economic situation in the SADC and Great Lakes region.
“They reaffirmed their commitment to the decisions of the 37th SADC summit [this August] on positive developments in the political situation in the DRC. They renewed the commitment to consolidate the bilateral relations that exist between the DRC and South Africa,’’ UN Radio said.
It said that according to a document released after their meeting, Zuma expressed his country's support for the ongoing electoral process in the DRC.
Kabila's term expired last December, but he has refused to leave office, saying elections cannot take place because most voters are not registered. The opposition has held protests against his decision.
In Catholic bishop-brokered peace talks, it was agreed that elections would be held before the end of this year. But a week ago the electoral commission said polls will be held in mid-2019 at the earliest, an announcement that worsened tensions.
