KINSHASA: On the eve of the first expected results of Congo’s long-delayed presidential election, President Donald Trump said military personnel had been deployed to the region to protect US assets from possible “violent demonstrations”, while the country’s powerful Catholic church warned of a popular “uprising” if untrue results are announced.

Congo faces what could be its first democratic, peaceful transfer of power since independence from Belgium in 1960, but election observers and the opposition have raised numerous concerns about voting irregularities as the country chooses a successor to longtime President Joseph Kabila.

The first results are expected on Sunday (today), and the United States and the African Union, among others, have urged Congo to release results that reflect the true will of the people.

The US has threatened sanctions against those who undermine the democratic process.

Western election observers were not invited to watch the vote.

The Catholic church, an influential voice in the heavily Catholic nation, caused surprise on Thursday by announcing that data reported by its 40,000 election observers deployed in all polling stations show a clear winner.

As regulations say only the electoral commission can announce election results, the church did not announce a name.

The electoral commission responded by saying the announcement could incite an “uprising”.

In a letter to the commission on Saturday, seen by The Associated Press, the Catholic church dismissed the accusation that it acted illegally, saying its goal was to “make the electoral process credible” and stabilise the country.

While Congo has been largely calm on and after election day, Trump’s letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said about 80 military personnel and “appropriate combat equipment” had deployed to nearby Gabon to support the security of US citizens and staffers and diplomatic facilities. More will be deployed as needed to Gabon, Congo or neighbouring Republic of Congo, he wrote.

The Dec 30 election took place more than two years behind schedule.

Published in Dawn, January 6th, 2019