SA to send poll monitors to DRC
2006-06-13 15:29
Pretoria - South Africa would send a 128-member observer mission to the Democratic Republic of Congo to monitor that country's election, said deputy foreign minister Aziz Pahad on Tuesday.
Pahad said the observer team would be deployed in key areas in all the provinces of the DRC ahead of the election scheduled for July 30.
Pahad said: "The team will consist of people from civic organisations, government officials and people with previous observer experience."
The DRC's Independent Electoral Commission also asked SA to send 300 technical people to assist in the run-up to the election.
He said: "We have 168 members of our IEC who are ready for deployment to join others already there."
UN deploys 17 500 troops
The vote on July 30 would be followed by provincial and local elections, bringing to an end a three-year precarious transitional period begun in 2003 after nearly five years of regional war fought on DRC soil.
The United Nations had deployed almost 17 500 peacekeeping troops in the country, including SA troops.
On Monday the European Union approved the deployment of a 2 000-strong force, spearheaded by Germany and France, to help secure the elections.
Pahad welcome the deployment of the EU troops in support of the UN mission the DRC.
He said that although the situation in the eastern DRC, where fighting was continuing was worrisome, all indications were that the election would go ahead as scheduled.
Pahad said: "Generally, we are happy with the situation and we think things are on track. Things can always go wrong, but we do not expect that at the moment."
- SAPA