Egypt welcomes Congo’s agreement to end political dispute

Egypt has welcomed on Thursday evening an agreement reached between factions in Congo to end the political dispute in the country.

A foreign ministry statement called on all political factions in Congo to respect the agreement and to work towards achieving prosperity for the people of Congo.

The agreement reached last December states the delayed presidential and legislative elections will be held in December 2017, after which President Joseph Kabila will step down.

Kabila, who assumed power in 2001 after the assassination of his father president Laurent Kablia, has not yet signed the agreement, which was mediated by the country’s Catholic Church.

Violence erupted in Congo last month, after president Joseph Kabila refused to leave office following his second and final term end on 19 December.

An earlier political agreement that would have allowed Kabila to remain in power until April 2018 was rejected by most of the country’s opposition parties.

At least 40 people were killed last month in the protests against the president.

Source: Ahram Online