DRC: Speed up election programme, Security Council says

A visiting UN Security Council delegation, which is touring Africa's Great Lakes region, has asked the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to speed up its electoral timetable so that elections would be held on time in June 2005. The preliminary reforms meant to pave the way for elections have not been approved. One of these is the reunification of the armed forces, from previously belligerent groups. So far, only the army chief of staff and other senior army command positions have been integrated. Rank-and-file soldiers still give their loyalty to the their former militia commanders.