19/12/2023 (Agence Europe) – On the eve of the general elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo on 20 December (see EUROPE 13310/23), the European Union has expressed “its concern at the hate speech, violence and incidents that have marked the last few days of the campaign”. In a statement, the spokesperson for the European External Action Service said: “Serious human rights violations and abuses have been recorded, according to the United Nations, and it is the responsibility of the authorities to carry out investigations in order to prosecute the perpetrators. Efforts to divide the population on the basis of ethnicity or origin and any comments inciting violence are unacceptable”. The spokesperson also reiterated that all citizens must be able to exercise their right to vote in complete safety, regardless of their political allegiance, and without fear of violence or reprisals. (AN)