For Immediate Release
Contact: In Atlanta, Soyia Ellison, soyia.ellison@cartercenter.org
ATLANTA – The Carter Center commends the participants of the recent talks held under the auspices of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Congo (CENCO), including representatives of the presidential majority, opposition, and civil society, whose hard work and perseverance resulted in an inclusive political agreement on Dec. 31, 2016.
The agreement is a critical step towards ending the political crisis in Democratic Republic of the Congo. While the agreement is a significant accomplishment, the Center notes that key details have not been finalized and urges the parties to continue to negotiate in good faith to resolve all outstanding issues as quickly as possible.
The Carter Center hopes that the spirit of collaboration and compromise that has been fostered by CENCO’s efforts will prevail throughout the year so that the Congolese people can enjoy the peaceful future they deserve. The Dec. 31 agreement provides that the constitution will not be revised, that elections will be held by December 2017, and that President Kabila will not run for a third term. The Carter Center appeals to President Kabila and other key politicians who have not yet formally endorsed the agreement to make explicit their support for the document and commit to its implementation as an urgent priority, including those measures aimed at decreasing tensions.
The Carter Center, an impartial non-governmental organization, has worked for more than 10 years in DRC to advance peace by supporting Congolese civil society organizations working on human rights, citizen observation of elections, and extractive industries governance. In addition, the Center organized international election observation missions for the 2006 and 2011 elections. As an organization that has actively supported DRC’s development, The Carter Center is hopeful that the outstanding issues in the Dec. 31 agreement will be resolved and that the DRC can proceed toward its first peaceful, democratic transition of power.
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"Waging Peace. Fighting Disease. Building Hope."
A not-for-profit, nongovernmental organization, The Carter Center has helped to improve life for people in over 80 countries by resolving conflicts; advancing democracy, human rights, and economic opportunity; preventing diseases; and improving mental health care. The Carter Center was founded in 1982 by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, in partnership with Emory University, to advance peace and health worldwide.
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