UN: More than 10 killed in DR Congo election violence

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UN: More than 10 killed in DR Congo election violence

2011-12-02 20:11:10 GMT+7 (ICT)

NEW YORK (BNO NEWS) -- The United Nations (UN) believes more than ten people have been killed during election-related violence this week in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), officials said on Friday.

The UN Joint Human Rights Office (UNJHRO) in DRC, which has been monitoring election-related violence, has urged all sides to exercise restraint and to resolve any differences through peaceful means. It so far documented 10 people who were allegedly killed by security forces and supporters of political parties, and many more have been wounded by the use of live ammunitio.

"Clearly, political differences cannot be resolved through killings, and security forces should not use disproportionate force in the conduct of crowd control," said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay. "Such violations, as well as violence committed by supporters of political parties, must be investigated and perpetrators brought to justice without delay."

On Monday, millions of Congolese went to the polls to cast their votes in presidential and parliamentary elections - only the second time since its independence in 1960 that the country held democratic elections. They are now awaiting the announcement of the preliminary results by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

Pillay also deplored the killings and other acts of violence committed over the past few days, stressing that political leaders from all sides have a crucial role to play at this important crossroads in the history of DRC. "It is their responsibility to resolve tensions through peaceful means," Pillay stated, while also urging all sides to exercise restraint and to resolve differences peacefully to prevent the country from sliding into a cycle of post-electoral violence

He added: "They must realize that they may be held criminally responsible for their actions as well as for acts committed by their supporters."

Earlier this month, UNJHRO issued a report that detailed numerous human rights violations during the pre-electoral period in DRC, and warned that such incidents could threaten the democratic process and result in post-electoral violence.

The report documented 188 violations apparently linked to the electoral process that occurred between November 1, 2010 and September 30 this year, including acts of intimidation, threats, incitement, arbitrary arrests and violence.

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