U. S. sends troops for possible vote protests

On the eve of the first expected results of Congo’s long- delayed presidential election, President Donald Trump said military personnel had deployed to Central Africa to protect U. S. assets from possible “violent demonstrations,” while the country’s powerful Catholic church warned of a popular “uprising” if untrue results are announced.

Congo faces what could be its first democratic, peaceful transfer of power since independence from Belgium in 1960, but election observers and the opposition have raised concerns about voting irregularities as the country chooses a successor to longtime President Joseph Kabila.

The first results are expected on Sunday, and the United States and the African Union, among others, have urged Congo to release results that reflect the true will of the people. The U. S. has threatened sanctions against those who undermine the democratic process. Western election observers were not invited to watch the vote.