Photo: MONUSCO/Alain Likota

Bukavu, 20 October 2011 – The Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary –General and Head of the UN Stabilisation Mission in the DRC Congo, Roger Meece, was in Bukavu, the provincial capital of Sud-Kivu, on two-day working visit from 19 to 20 Octobre 2011, to look at the status of local preparations for the upcoming national elections.

Preparations for presidential and legislative elections scheduled for 28 November and security challenges were at the heart of Mr. Meeche's successive meetings for exchange with the Deputy Governor of the province, the provincial Executive Secretary of the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI), the President of the Provincial Assembly, the provincial Commissioner of the Congolese National Police (PNC), and the Commander of the Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC)'s 10th Military Region.

The provincial Executive Secretary of the CENI, Eugène Birhenjira, indicated that deployment of electoral kits has been progressing well with the logical support of MONUSCO. He said that in Sud-Kivu, the CENI is working hard towards holding the elections on 28 November 2011, as scheduled.

For his part, the provincial police commander, General Gaston Luzembo, noted that his forces, which have been trained for election security, are ready to ensure smooth conduct of operations at every stage of the electoral process. About 4 000 police officers will be deployed to that end, he said.

As for areas that are still plagued by the presence of illegal armed groups, Congolese military commanders said the deployment of newly trained FARDC regiments on the ground will deter any attempt by these negative forces to disrupt the running of the running of the upcoming elections.

For his part, the UN Special Representative and Head of MONUSCO reassured his Congolese interlocutors of the UN Mission's support not only with regard to the organization of elections, but also for the stabilization of this eastern part of the country, within its mandate and available resources.