An agreement reached last year, backed by the Security Council, authorizes President Joseph Kabila to remain in power beyond his mandate ended on December 20, 2016 until elections by the end of 2017.
But there is growing concern about a possible collapse of this agreement after the head of the electoral commission, who said last week that the vote would probably not take place this year.
« Delays in the elections can not continue, » said the US Deputy Ambassador Michele Sison during a Council meeting on the crisis in the DRC.
« The international community must take the lead and intensify the pressure not only on President Kabila and his government, but also on the independent national electoral commission, » she said.