In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, nationwide polls for president and local leaders have opened after a three-hour delay. In eastern DRC, voters and observers complained of poorly organized election sites and missing names from voting rolls.

Sarah Bujirwa L’or: “There were quite a few people who didn’t end up on the lists. We, the observers, can see that the organization was not good in this respect. People are wondering how they are going to vote if they can’t find their way around. Yet they also have the right to do their duty to vote.”

Ongoing violence in the war-torn east has displaced millions and prevented an estimated 1.5 million people from registering to vote. Incumbent President Félix Tshisekedi is seeking a second five-year term and is running in a packed field of nearly 20 hopefuls. Other candidates include Moïse Katumbi, a former governor and mining magnate; former oil executive Martin Fayulu; and Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr. Denis Mukwege. Mukwege’s Panzi Hospital has treated tens of thousands of survivors of sexual violence from armed groups.

The DRC is home to massive reserves of natural resources, including cobalt, which is used to make lithium batteries for cellphones and other electronic devices. Lithium is considered essential amid the transition away from fossil fuels. But Congolese people have not benefited from the prized mineral. Insecurity, poverty, corruption, and the management of resources are key issues in the election.

In related news, the U.N. Security Council voted unanimously Tuesday to gradually phase out its 14,000 peacekeeping troops in the DRC. Congolese authorities and local communities have called for their withdrawal, saying the international force failed to prevent escalating violence.