The European Union (EU) has announced that it will deploy an Electoral Observation Mission (EOM) to monitor the upcoming 2023 General Elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The EU announced this afternoon that the union will be sending the EOM following an invitation from The Congolese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
EU High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Joseph Borrell has since appointed Malin Björk to lead the observation mission this December.
In a press statement, Borrell underlined the importance of the elections for democratic consolidation in the country as well as cooperation between the DRC and the EU.
Borrell also called for ensuring inclusive, free, transparent and peaceful elections, while preserving the country’s fundamental freedoms.
Meanwhile, observation mission head Malin Björk said she was honored to lead the EU EOM in the DRC, the first since 2011.
The Swede expressed her commitment to contributing positively to the electoral process, stressing that the mission will observe and assess the the entire process in accordance with international and regional standards to which the DRC has subscribed.
The first batch of the EU EOM team is expected to arrive in the Congolese capital, Kinshasa, in the coming days.
The DRC goes to the polls to elect its president and other leaders on 20th December, 2023.
