250 EU poll observers to DRC
2006-06-15 22:41
Kinshasa - The European Union will deploy 250 observers in the Democratic Republic of Congo for elections at the end of July, in the bloc's largest such mission yet, a member of the EU parliament said on Thursday.
Philippe Morillon, a former French general who commanded international peacekeeping forces in Bosnia and will head the team, told a news conference: "We are conscious that what is happening here could have repercussions on a world level."
The European Union is also helping to provide security for the first elections in decades for the former Zaire, with up to 2 000 troops assisting a United Nations contingent of 16 000 already in the country.
Calling the transition to democracy vital for the development of the DRC and the stability of the African continent, Morillon said: "We are only here to help ... not to impose anything, but to put our experience at the service of the Congolese."
The aim is to "contribute to establishing a climate of confidence and peace, indispensable for the Congolese people to exercise their most basic rights".
About 100 observers will be deployed from June 29, when the campaign begins for the first round of presidential and legislative elections, and 150 more a few days before the July 30 vote.
A second round, which will also include provincial elections, are expected to take place in October.
- AFP