UN chief Antonio Guterres has called on Democratic Republic of Congo’s President Joseph Kabila to honour his promise and leave power in accordance with an agreement signed in 2016.
Guterres comments come after at least 8 people died and 120 arrested in protests against his rule.
Kabila signed a deal with opposition groups agreeing to step down once his current term ends and new elections are held, AFP reports.
The date of the new vote was pushed back to December 2018, prompting violence in the nation.
“The secretary-general urges all Congolese political actors to remain fully committed to the 31 December 2016 political agreement, which remains the only viable path to the holding of elections, the peaceful transfer of power and the consolidation of stability in the DRC,” Guterres’ office said in a statement late Sunday.
DR Congo is embroiled in a political crisis linked to Kabila’s refusal to step down as president when his mandate expired a year ago while militia violence and political unrest are increasing.
Eight people were killed on Sunday and dozens arrested as Congolese security forces cracked down on protesters who defied a government ban to demonstrate in Kinshasa and other cities.
Opposition forces are demanding Kabila — who took office after his father Laurent was assassinated in 2001 — step down to allow transition without him.
