UN presses for rapid action on crisis deal

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January 5, 2017 12:40 AM

In a unanimous vote approving the measure proposed by France, the 15 members of the council reaffirmed the importance of organizing credible polls before 2017 ends.

Police fire rubber bullets at demonstrators protesting outside the Democratic Republic of the Congo's Embassy in defiance of their President, Joseph Kabila on December 20, 2016 in Pretoria

The UN Security Council called Wednesday for the rapid and complete implementation of a deal to end the political crisis in the Democratic Republic of the

In a unanimous vote approving the measure proposed by France, the 15 members of the council reaffirmed the importance of organizing credible elections before the end of the year.

"The Security Council is encouraged by the spirit of flexibility and compromise demonstrated by Congolese political leaders in reaching this agreement, for the stability, peace, development and consolidation of constitutional democracy in the DRC, and calls on all Congolese actors to preserve this spirit in the discussions to come in order to swiftly resolve all pending issues, especially the practical modalities of the inclusive management of the executive during the pre-electoral and electoral period," the UNSC said in a statement.

"The Security Council encourages the political parties which didn't sign the agreement to do so," it added.

The deal reached Saturday, which was mediated by the Roman Catholic Church, sketches a timetable under which President Joseph Kabila will stay in office before new elections are held.

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