The Catholic Church in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has appealed for a resolution to the on-going political standoff over the insistence of President Joseph Kabila’s insistence in power despite being constitutionally barred.

Ceoafrica gathered that the call by the church came after 19 people were killed and 45 others wounded in clashes, that occurred in Kinshasa and the eastern city of Lubumbashi between police and protesters, who took to the streets to protest against Kabila's refusal to step down from power.

Kabila's second term officially ended on Tuesday as he is constitutionally barred from seeking a third term but under a controversial recent constitutional court order, he may stay on until a successor is chosen.

"Our wish is to end before Christmas," said Episcopal Conference (CENCO) chairman Monsignor Marcel Utembi. "If the political and civil society actors do not reach a compromise by then, CENCO will draw the consequences."

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday urged the government and opposition to work constructively to reach a deal while backing the CENCO-facilitated dialogue.

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, since next elections have not been organised not to talk of conducting the poll.

Meanwhile, the South African government led by President Jacob Zuma on Tuesday expressed concern "about the current situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and condemned any outbreak of violence.

"These incidences threaten the hard-won democratic gains made by the DRC through the past two elections," the department of international relations and corporation said in a statement.

But in what Kabila's opponents dubbed a provocation, a new government was announced overnight on Monday, headed by Samy Badibanga, which seems as 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.

The main opposition bloc headed by 84-year-old Etienne Tshisekedi rejected the plan because he wants elections conducted in 2017 with a pledge that President Joseph Kabila who has been in power since 2001 after his Father’s (Laurent Kabila) assassination will not stand.

Also in the same vein, Maman Sambo Sidikou, the head of the UN mission in Congo, had voiced alarm on Tuesday about a wave of arrests of opposition leaders, rights campaigners and journalists since December 16.