DRC 'calm but tense' as country awaits presidential election result.

The post-election environment in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is 'calm but tense' as the country waits for the results of the presidential poll, the UN Human Rights office (OHCHR) said on Friday.

Amid reports that journalists and opposition political candidates have been intimidated and access to selected media broadcasters remains blocked, OHCHR spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani warned that efforts to silence dissent could 'backfire'.

Her comments come ahead of consultations behind closed doors on the election, in the UN Security Council in New York, later on Friday.

The result of the delayed poll held on 30 December - which featured 21 candidates - is due to be announced on Sunday, although the DRC's electoral commission announced that this may be pushed back.

'What my colleagues have told me and they have observed is that the situation remains calm but tense ahead of the announcement of the results,' Ms Shamdasani said. 'There are preliminary reports of some pockets of violence and people being injured.'

OHCHR has an office in the vast central African country but has not played a role in supervising the national election, which was held following a week's delay and postponements dating back to 2016. Voting across several cities in eastern DRC that have been hit by the on-going Ebola outbreak and inter-communal violence, was postponed until March by the election commission (CENI).

Last Sunday's vote will decide the successor to President Joseph Kabila, who came to office in 2001 after the previous incumbent, his father Laurent, was assassinated in the aftermath of a civil war involving numerous armed militias. Ms Shamdasani also noted reports that freedom of expression is under threat in DRC.

'Intimidation and harassment against journalists, opposition candidates and human rights defenders continues to take place,' she said. 'This being a very sensitive, a very tense period, we are concerned that these efforts to silence dissent could backfire considerably when the results are announced. We are watching carefully, and we are calling on all sides to refrain from the use of violence.'

As the DRC waits for the results of the poll, Ms Shamdasani also highlighted evidence of other civil rights violations:

'The internet is cut off, the signal of Radio France Internationale (RFI) has been tampered with, as well as Canal Congo Television, which apparently belongs to...