WASHINGTON, Feb. 15 (UPI) -- Washington called on authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo to release records from a controversial November election.
The DRC courts upheld election results from November that indicated President Joseph Kabila beat opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi. Dozens of people were killed since the court's declaration and many of those slain were members of the opposition.
Victoria Nuland, a spokeswoman for the U.S. State Department, said Washington was monitoring DRC developments as legal disputes against results from a legislative election mount.
"We remain deeply concerned about multiple allegations of human rights abuses by security forces, including illegal and arbitrary detentions throughout the electoral process," she said in a statement.
The government, she added, is called out to hold those responsible for the violence accountable and ensure security forces are restrained accordingly.
Herve Ladsous, U.N. undersecretary-general for peacekeeping operations, told members of the Security Council the political situation in DRC remained tense.
Western leaders questioned the credibility of the election, though U.N. officials had said having elections in general were a challenge in DRC, one of the least developed countries in the world.
Elections in DRC were only the second since the country gained independence in 1960.
