Secretary-General Calls Upon Stakeholders in Congo to Work towards Peaceful Electoral Process ahead of Presidential Vote

The following statement was issued by the Spokesperson for UN Secretary-General António Guterres:

Ahead of the presidential election in the Republic of the Congo on 21 March, the Secretary-General calls on all stakeholders to work towards a peaceful electoral process.

He stresses the need to respect civil and political rights, notably the right to vote.

He encourages the media and social media users to promote social cohesion and calls on all stakeholders to refrain from hate speech or incitement to violence and resolve any disputes through dialogue and legal channels.

The Secretary-General stresses that peaceful, inclusive and credible elections are essential for sustainable peace in the Republic of the Congo.