Zambia’s President Edgar Lungu is travelling to South Africa for a meeting with his South African counterpart, Cyril Ramaphosa, over the political situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

A statement issued by Amos Chanda, Mr Lungu's spokesman, says the meeting is “urgent”.

DR Congo’s electoral commission had planned to release provisional results of the 30 December presidential election on Sunday.

However, it has not yet done so. Electoral officials cited delays in the delivery of voting ballots.

DR Congo's influential Catholic church says it knows the winner of the poll and urged the electoral body to release results that will be a true reflection of how people voted.

Zambia is currently home to more than 60,000 DR Congo refugees who have fled conflict.

The presidency also said that Mr Lungu would undergo his annual medical review while in South Africa.