Bukavu, 10 May 2011 – In Sud-Kivu province, the United Nations Stabilization Mission in the DR Congo (MONUSCO) is helping the National Independent Electoral Commission (French acronym CENI) in its efforts to mobilize large numbers of voters to register in the up-coming elections.

Nearly one month into the process of reviewing and updating electoral lists, out of 2 009 336 potential voters in Sud-Kivu, some 855 840 Congolese have registered, representing only 43% of the total.

In a bid to raise this rate, MONUSCO and the CENI Provincial Executive Secretariat launched, on 10 May, a joint mission to all eight territories of Sud-Kivu to train NGOs to sensitize local communities for greater participation in the voters' registration exercise. Thus, a total of 11 NGOs will be trained, and given adequate means to serve as a relay in the sensitization campaign.

MONUSCO and CENI will send out teams to the different localities to meet with traditional chiefs, and encourage them to play an active role in the process in order to ensure its success.

Alain Likota/ MONUSCO