KINSHASA, Democratic Republic of Congo, Oct. 21 (UPI) -- U.N. and Congolese security forces have helped train more than 700 police officers to keep the peace during next month's elections, a U.N. mission said.
U.N. officials involved in the Democratic Republic of Congo said the Nov. 28 election should be open to the media and afford all participants the opportunity for constructive political debate.
All parties, the U.N. Security Council has said, are to respect the electoral process and ensure campaigns are conducted peacefully.
The U.N. Police Division said it was working with members of the Congolese National Police Force in the training of some 700 police to help keep peace specifically in South Kivu province, near a region where reports of sexual violence sparked widespread concern early this year.
Recent DRC conflicts were linked to tensions between incumbent President Joseph Kabila People's Party for Reconstruction and Democracy and opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi's Union for Democracy and Social Progress.
DRC police in September used tear gas to disperse opposition supporters marching on an electoral commission building.
More than 31 million people have registered to vote for the DRC elections, the second in the country's 50-year history.
