With less than two weeks to go before D-Day in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), southern Africa anxiously awaits the outcome of a presidential run-off that could mean the difference between peace and a return to civil strife.

The Congolese go to the polls again on 29 October to select a president from two candidates – incumbent president, Joseph Kabila, and vice president responsible for economic affairs, Jean-Pierre Bemba.

The two had to face a second round of voting after failing to garner the 50 percent-plus-one vote required to claim the presidency.

The first round of polls was held on 30 July in which Kabila won 44.81 percent of the vote, while Bemba had 20.03 percent.

The election attracted over 70 percent of the 25.6 million registered voters.

The presidential run-off is heating up, with other losing presidential candidates putting their weight behind either candidate.

Kabila's prospects in the run-off have brightened after two of the top losing candidates in the 30 July polls – Antoine Gizenga and Nzanga Mobutu – urged their supporters to rally behind the 35-year-old DRC leader.

Gizenga came third in the first round, with 13 percent of the vote, while Mobutu was fourth.

Mobutu is son of former president Mobutu Sese Seko who was ironically overthrown by Kabila's father, Laurent, in 1997.

On the other end, Bemba is wooing support from other presidential candidates. On 23 September he celebrated the establishment of a new political coalition called Union for the Nation (UN).

The UN is an alliance of 15 of the 33 presidential candidates who contested the first round, including the four women candidates.

The presidential run-off is of political and economic significance to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to which the DRC is a member.

Ministers responsible for defence and foreign affairs in SADC will meet in the DRC capital, Kinshasa, from 19-20 October to map out strategies for a peaceful 29 October presidential election run-off.

Tanzanian ambassador to the DRC, Mohamed Maharage Juma, met DRC's Minister of Regional Cooperation, Mbusa Nyamuisi, on 11 October to lay the groundwork ahead of the ministerial meeting.

“SADC firmly believes in the happy ending of the DR Congo electoral process,” said the Tanzanian diplomat.

Tanzania chairs the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation of the 14-member regional bloc.

Peace and stability in the DRC is important for the SADC region, which is keen to bolster its position as an attractive investment zone.

The return to sustainable peace will strengthen the DRC's ability to exploit its vast mineral and other resources in a more sustainable and equitable manner.

The country is home to one of the world's largest diamond, copper and cobalt deposits. It was the fourth largest producer of industrial diamonds in the 1980s and the mineral continues to account for over half of its annual exports.

Due to political instability, the country has not fully enjoyed the benefits from its vast diamond deposits.

The DRC has vast untapped agricultural capacity and has potential to become the next food-basket of Africa.

Straddling the equator and spanning two tropical zones, its climate favours the cultivation of a wide range of tropical and Mediterranean crops. More than half of the DRC's land is arable and suitable for farming but currently just a fraction is being utilised.

(sardc.net)

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