DRC peace 'has to hold': Pahad
Clive Ndou
25 August 2006
South Africa's main concern is to ensure peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) ahead its second round of presidential elections - and not to apportion blame for the latest outbreak of violence in the country.
That's according to Deputy Foreign Minister Aziz Pahad, who told journalists in Cape Town on Thursday that South Africa would "continue working in close cooperation with the DRC to normalise the situation there."
On Sunday, the DRC electoral authorities announced that incumbent President Joseph Kabila had won the 30 July presidential election with 44.81% of the vote, followed by his deputy, Jean Pierre Bemba, with 20.03% of the vote.
Since Kabila fell short of the 50% majority vote required to declare him the outright winner, this necessitated a run-off election between Kabila and Bemba, which has been scheduled for 29 October.
However, Monday night's clashes in Kinshasa between military forces loyal to the rival
leaders have raised fears of an escalation of violence ahead of the crucial run-off elections.
"These clashes were between military forces and not the voters as such," Pahad said, adding: "Our view is that the Congolese people are ready for the elections."
He said that South Africa had fully understood that running elections in a country that had not held democratic elections for decades would not be easy. The elections were the country's first free multi-party elections since the former Zaire won its independence from Belgium 46 years ago.
However, Pahad warned that if the violence in the DRC escalated, South Africa would have no option but to evacuate its citizens.
The two rival forces signed an agreement on Tuesday to withdraw from the centre of Kinshasa. Pahad said South Africa hoped the truce between the two would hold.
Source: BuaNews
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