|
UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- Four international organizations including the United Nations on Thursday expressed concern over delays in implementing the political agreement reached in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on the last day of 2016.
In a joint statement issued Thursday, the UN and its partners said they "are increasingly concerned by the continuing impasse in the dialogue among the political stakeholders in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) related to the implementation modalities of the December 31 political agreement."
The joint statement, issued by the African Union, the UN, the European Union and the International Organization of La Francophonie (IOF), says "the four partner organizations note that six weeks after agreeing on the modalities of a transition period leading to the holding of peaceful and credible elections by December 2017, the parties are yet to conclude discussions on the effective implementation of the agreement."
"This situation has the potential to undermine the political goodwill that led to the signing of the December 31 agreement," it says.
The four partner organizations called on all stakeholders in the DRC, including the presidential majority and the opposition, to redouble, in good faith, their efforts towards a speedy conclusion of the ongoing talks, according to the statement.
"The four partner organizations reaffirm the need for all parties to rally behind the mediation efforts led by the Conference episcopale nationale du Congo (CENCO), and recall that the full and timely implementation of the Dec. 31 agreement is critical in upholding the legitimacy of the transitional institutions until elections," it says.
It has been more than one month since the deal brokered by the CENCO was agreed but little work has been done by way of its implementation, according to media reports.
The deal while barring incumbent Joseph Kabila from seeking a third-term also asked for a transition period leading to the holding of peaceful and credible elections by the end of 2017.
