U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday urged Congolese to avoid violence in any dispute over the results of the Democratic Republic of Congo's presidential election, which indicate incumbent Joseph Kabila was re-elected. “The Secretary-General takes note of the announcement of the provisional results by the Independent National Electoral Commission which indicate that President Joseph Kabila garnered the most votes,” Ban's press office said in a statement. “The Secretary-General calls for any differences regarding the provisional results of the polls to be resolved peacefully through available legal and mediation mechanisms, including the National Mediation Committee,” the statement said. The Secretary-General appealed for calm, urging “all candidates and their supporters to exercise restraint and refrain from any acts of violence, provocation and incitement to violence.”
