Pretoria - United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called for any differences regarding the provisional results in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to be resolved peacefully through available legal and mediation mechanisms.
Millions of Congolese went to the polls on 28 November to cast their votes in presidential and parliamentary elections - the second time since independence from Belgium in 1960 that the country has held multi-party elections.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) announced the results at the weekend, showing that incumbent Joseph Kabila obtained 49 percent of the vote, while opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi got 32 percent, according to the UN news website.
But media reports from the ground indicate that the situation is tense after Tshisekedi and his supporters rejected the vote results, and that he has declared himself president, calling for the international community to step in to prevent what he says could be "another bloodbath on Congolese territory".
Riots also took place after the declaration by the CENI in some neighborhoods of Kinshasa, the capital of the DRC, where most inhabitants are in support of Tshisekedi. During the clash in riots, about six people have been killed.
Ban says he will follow the situation closely, while he strongly condemned any acts of violence in connection with the electoral process.
Ban reiterated his call to candidates and their supporters to exercise restraint and refrain from any acts of violence, provocation and incitement.
