FILE- In this Thursday, June 30, 2016 file photo, Congolese President Joseph Kabila, center, waves as he and others celebrate the Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC, independence in Kindu, Congo. Officials in Congo say negotiations between the country’s political parties are now on hold until Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2016. The announcement Saturday comes as the Catholic church attempts to resolve the impasse between President Joseph Kabila and opposition parties over delayed elections. (AP Photo/John Bompengo, File) (The Associated Press)
KINSHASA, Congo – Officials in Congo say negotiations between the country's political parties over the nation's delayed election are now on hold until Wednesday.
The announcement Saturday comes as the Catholic church attempts to resolve the impasse between President Joseph Kabila and opposition parties over the vote. Monsignor Marcel Utembi said no solution has been reached yet.
The presidential vote in Congo originally had been scheduled for November and Kabila's mandate was to end this month.
Now the government is proposing the vote take place in April 2018 — a move that's fueled fears Kabila is looking to extend his rule even though he's barred from taking part in the next vote.
Foreign embassies have warned their citizens that political tensions are likely to fuel unrest in Kinshasa in the coming days.
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