The Roman Catholic church on Wednesday issued a strong plea to DR Congo's political leaders to strike a deal by Christmas to stem an explosive crisis over the fate of President Joseph Kabila.
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The call by bishops sponsoring key talks between the opposition and the ruling party came a day after deadly protests erupted over Kabila's refusal to step down at the end of his mandate Tuesday.
His second and final term ran out with no election on the near horizon and no sign that he plans to leave power any time soon.
According to a UN provisional toll, 19 people were killed and 45 hurt in violence across Democratic Republic of Congo on Tuesday.
The government put the toll at 11 dead.
Tension remained high on Wednesday, with activity resuming slowly in Kinshasa, a megacity of 10 million people, and troops and police posted at major crossroads.
All eyes were on the resumption of the talks headed by the Episcopal Conference, CENCO, that had broken up at the weekend with no progress.
"Our wish is to end before Christmas," said CENCO chairman Monsignor Marcel Utembi. "If the political and civil society actors do not reach a compromise by then... CENCO will draw the consequences."
In Rome, Pope Francis too appealed to the people of DR Congo to be "artisans of peace".
Gunfire rang out across the vast and troubled nation as the protests erupted Tuesday.
So far the mainstream opposition has called for "peaceful resistance" from the country's 70 million people, pinning its hopes on a deal at the negotiating table.
But in what Kabila's opponents dubbed "a provocation", a new government was announced overnight Monday, headed by Samy Badibanga.
The freshly appointed cabinet is part of an October deal struck between the ruling party and tiny fringe opposition groups enabling Kabila to remain in office pending elections in April 2018.
