Monday 5 November 2012

Congo-Kinshasa: U.S. Backs Regional Approach to DRC

Congo-Kinshasa: U.S. Backs Regional Approach to DRC

The US Under Secretary for Political Affairs, Wendy Sherman, has said that the ongoing efforts by the ICGLR to end violence in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, are an indication of the region's collective desire for peace.
The ICGLR (International Conference on the Great Lakes Region) is a grouping of 11 member states and under the current steward ship of Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni have been involved in various efforts to bring peace and stability to the region.
Sherman is expected to travel to DRC today where she will hold talks with President Joseph Kabila about the situation in eastern DRC where several rebel groups have operated for decades.
The DRC government has of recent come under serious criticism for failure to address the underlying causes of conflicts that have left thousands of Congolese raped, displaced or even killed.
"The countries in the Great Lakes including Rwanda, Uganda, DRC, Kenya and others have shown a common interest in ending the crisis in the eastern parts of DRC," Sherman said.
She added: "Although the situation involves complex issues like ethnic identity, transit and DRC's ability, it has been illustrated that no one is willing to support the negative forces operating in Congo and the country's sovereignty will be supported at all times."
Sherman, who was addressing reporters from across the continent through a telephone conference, while in Nairobi, noted that her talks with President Kabila will also focus on prosperity for the region.
"I will be holding talks with President Joseph Kabila tomorrow (today) on the situation, as we continue to seek for a way back to peace, security and prosperity for the region," she said.
Sherman further commented on Uganda's decision to withdraw its troops from UN backed missions in Somalia, the Central African Republic and the DRC in retaliation to a controversial leaked UN report that alleged Uganda and Rwanda were fuelling the crisis in Congo and supporting armed groups.
Uganda provides the largest contingent to the UN-backed African Union mission in Somalia (Amisom).
The Amisom force has helped the Somali government gain ground against Islamist militias.
"The United States will not comment on the UN report that was leaked by the media but what I am confident about is that Uganda has played a critical role in finding peace and security in the region. I have had positive talks with President Museveni and we largely agreed on continuing efforts to defeat negative forces and create peace," Sherman said.
"Last week I also held talks with President Paul Kagame and discussed a variety of issues including Rwanda's role on the UN Security Council and regional security. Generally, there is political will in the region to reach a positive end to the instability."
Sherman's trip to the Great Lakes began October 29, and is expected to conclude on November 8.

Congo, Rwanda control tempers after border shoot-out


Mon Nov 5, 2012 11:10pm GMT

* Congolese soldier was shot dead on Saturday
* "Relations with Rwanda the same" - Congo army spokesman
* Border where killing occurred runs through potato patch
By Kenny Katombe
KABUANGA, Democratic Republic of Congo, Nov 5 (Reuters) - R wanda and Democratic Republic of Congo sought on Monday to prevent the killing of a Congolese soldier in a border clash from causing an escalation of already tense relations, officials said.
"Relations are the same with Rwanda. We're in contact with them. It was just an isolated incident," Congolese army spokesman Colonel Olivier Hamuli said during a visit to the scene of the shooting in eastern Congo, at a spot where the border runs through a potato patch.
"You can see there's no natural frontier, so it's easy for someone to make a mistake and find himself in another territory," he said, waving towards a group of potato farmers watching from just metres (yards) away in Rwanda.
The Congolese army at the weekend said one of its members had been killed on Saturday during an incident involving a Congolese soldier and a Rwandan soldier.
Rwanda said soldiers from Congo's armed forces had crossed the border on a reconnaissance mission and one was killed in a clash with Rwandan troops while one escaped.
On Monday, apart from a handful of military men watching silently from a nearby hilltop, there was little to indicate that the tense border runs through the water-logged field where the Congolese soldier was killed.
Relations between the two Great Lakes neighbours, never warm, have chilled considerably since United Nations investigators accused Rwanda earlier this year of backing eastern Congo's M23 rebels, a charge Kigali strongly denies.
Yet for all the cross words exchanged after their armies engaged in the rare firefight on Saturday, both sides were quick to head off a possible escalation - a subtle nod to just how much worse things could get.
In a statement over the weekend Rwanda said it would not respond militarily and would instead seek to resolve the issue through diplomatic channels.

A HISTORY OF WAR
Violence between Congo and Rwandan has been a nearly constant worry in the region for almost two decades, and open conflict in the past has led to catastrophic fallout.
In 1996, Kigali invaded its much larger neighbour in pursuit of Rwandan Hutu extremists responsible for a 1994 genocide that killed some 800,000 Rwandan Tutsis and moderate Hutus.
A second invasion a year later, sucked in a half dozen other African armies and sparked a conflict and lingering humanitarian crisis that continues today and has killed an estimated 5.4 million people.
Nearly a decade after the end to that war, more than a million and a half villagers have again fled violence in the two Congolese provinces bordering Rwanda, many since the start of the Tutsi-dominated M23 rebellion.
However, analysts say Rwanda's involvement in eastern Congo is largely driven by economic interests - from smuggled minerals to fertile grazing lands for Rwandan cattle - and it has little interest in an open war with Congo.
For Congo's badly equipped and poorly disciplined army, a conflict with the Rwandan military - one of Africa's best - is something to be avoided at all costs.
"This shouldn't be dramatised and politicised by Kigali," Congolese human rights lawyer Jean-Paul Lumbulumbu said of the border shoot-out.
"But incidents like this could be a catalyst to serious violence. That's why the Congolese government has got to make sure it doesn't happen again." (Additional reporting by Jonny Hogg; Writing by Joe Bavier; Editing by Michael Roddy)

Wednesday 10 October 2012

Congo-Kinshasa: Ban Calls for 'Concerted' Efforts to Bring

Congo-Kinshasa: Ban Calls for 'Concerted' Efforts to Bring Peace to Eastern DR Congo

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he remained deeply concerned over the security and humanitarian situations in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and called for "continued and sustained high-level dialogue" to bring peace to the region.
In a message to the Summit of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), held yesterday in Kampala, Uganda, Mr. Ban condemned violence and serious human rights violations against civilians by the rebel March 23 Movement (M23) and other armed entities in eastern DRC, adding that the abuses should be thoroughly investigated.
"The M23, [which] has recently made advances northwards from its positions in [DRC's eastern province of] North Kivu, is continuing destabilizing activities in areas that it occupies, and is perpetrating serious human rights violations, including child recruitment and sexual violence," said Mr. Ban's message, which was distributed to delegates at the meeting.
"Furthermore, other armed groups have stepped up their activities. Over 260,000 people have been displaced in North Kivu alone in the past several months, while over 60,000 additional Congolese have crossed into Rwanda and Uganda."
Mr. Ban said that all support to the M23 and other armed groups must "cease immediately and permanently."
But as he warned that the deteriorating security situation in eastern DRC threatened the stability in the wider Great Lakes region, he also stressed that it was "vitally important" for regional and international peace and security to uphold the territorial integrity and sovereignty of UN Member States. Such a principle was an "inviolable principle and cornerstone of international law."
Mr. Ban called for "concerted efforts" by all concerned national, regional and international actors to seek a path to peace.
"I strongly encourage continued and sustained high-level dialogue at the bilateral and regional level aimed at restoring mutual trust and political will to address underlying causes of the conflict," he stated.
The Secretary-General offered his "good offices, when and if appropriate," to help find a peaceful solution to the region's troubles.
He also said he looked forward to the outcomes of discussions on the proposed international neutral force to be deployed along the DRC-Rwanda border, which will be informed by the report of the ICGLR's Military Assessment Team.
"Clarity on the concept and operational modalities of such a force, as well as its coordination with MONUSCO will be important," he said, referring to the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in DRC.
Mr. Ban also welcomed the recent progress in strengthening confidence-building measures, and cited the launching on 14 September in Goma of the expanded Joint Verification Mechanism (JVM).
First discussed in June, the mechanism is a technical body, comprising experts from both DRC and Rwanda and those of the UN and African Union, to address DRC-Rwanda border security issues.
"The United Nations, through MONUSCO, is supporting the work of the JVM and of the Joint Intelligence Fusion Centre in Goma, and strongly encourages close cooperation between the partners for their full and effective implementation," Mr. Ban said.

Monday 8 October 2012

The 4th Extraordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR)

Kampala, October 8, 2012: The 4th Extraordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) on the security situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) 's held at Munyonyo Commonwealth Resort in Kampala (Uganda) October 8, 2012.
Attended the Summit, the President of the Republic of Burundi, Pierre Nkurunziza, President of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Joseph Kabila, President of Uganda Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, President of the Republic of Rwanda, Paul Kagame The President of the Republic of South Sudan, Salva Kiir. The latter had come to participate as an observer until the admission of his country to the ICGLR. Other states (Angola, Republic of Congo, Central Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, Sudan and Zambia) were represented by the Vice Presidents and Ministers.
During the Summit the Heads of State have made an assessment of previous decisions adopted at the Summits in Addis Ababa, Kampala I (8 August 2012) and Kampala II (8 September 2012) relating to the consolidation of peace and Security in Eastern DRC. The Summit heard the report of the Interministerial Committee Regional (CIMR) and the Committee of Ministers of Defence.
Humanitarian issues, the Heads of State decided to entrust the management of the Fund to a humanitarian assistance agency of the United Nations (UNOCHA) under the supervision of a committee comprising the Executive Secretary of the ICGLR. The Fund is housed in the branch of the Commercial Bank of Kenya to Bujumbura.
The Summit also decided that President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, Chairman of the ICGLR continues its diplomatic and political initiatives with all stakeholders to find a lasting solution to the crisis in eastern DRC.
The Summit has also thanked the United Nations, the African Union and the European Union for their support diplomatic, political and logistical support. He is in favor of strengthening the partnership ICGLR and SADC.
The Expanded Joint Verification Mechanism, Military Team Evaluation and the Joint Centre for Information fusion were encouraged to continue their activities in the field. The Summit's wishes after Tanzania, other countries contributing troops to the END might also adjudicate.
In the end, the Heads of State took the opportunity to congratulate the Government and people of Uganda on the occasion of the celebration of the 50th anniversary of its independence.
Kampala, October 8, 2012

Le 4eme Sommet Extraordinaire des Chefs

Kampala, 8 octobre 2012: Le 4eme Sommet Extraordinaire des Chefs d’Etat et de Gouvernement de la Conférence Internationale sur la Région des Grands Lacs (CIRGL) sur la situation sécuritaire dans l’Est de la République Démocratique du Congo (RDC) s’est tenu à Munyonyo Commonwealth Resort à Kampala (Ouganda) le 8 octobre 2012.
Ont participé à ce Sommet, le Président de la République du Burundi, Pierre Nkurunziza, le Président de la République Démocratique du Congo, Joseph Kabila Kabange, le Président de l’Ouganda Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, le Président de la République du Rwanda, Paul Kagame, le Président de la République du Soudan du Sud, Salva Kiir. Ce dernier était venu participer en tant qu’observateur en attendant l’admission de son pays à la CIRGL. Les autres Etats (Angola, la République du Congo, la Centrafrique, le Kenya, la Tanzanie, le Soudan et la Zambie) étaient représentés par les Vices Présidents et les ministres.
Au cours du sommet les chefs d’Etat ont fait une évaluation des décisions antérieures adoptées lors des Sommets d’Addis Abéba, de Kampala I (le 8 Aout 2012) et Kampala II (le 8 Septembre 2012) relatives à la consolidation de paix et de Sécurité dans l’Est de la RDC. Le Sommet a entendu la présentation du rapport du Comite Interministériel Régional (CIMR) et du Comité des Ministres de la Défense.
Concernant les questions humanitaires, les Chefs d’ Etat ont décidé de confier la gestion du Fond d’assistance humanitaire à une Agence des Nations Unies (UNOCHA) sous la supervision d‘un comité comprenant le Secrétariat Exécutif de la CIRGL. Le Fond est hébergé dans la succursale de la Banque Commerciale du Kenya à Bujumbura.
Le Sommet a également décidé que le Président Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, Président en exercice de la CIRGL poursuit ses initiatives diplomatiques et politiques auprès de tous les acteurs concernés en vue de trouver une solution durable à la crise dans l’Est de la RDC.
Le Sommet a, par ailleurs, remercie les Nations Unies, l'Union Africaine et l'Union Européenne pour leur appui diplomatique, politique et logistique. Il s'est prononce pour un renforcement du partenariat CIRGL-SADC.
Le Mécanisme Conjoint de Vérification Elargi, l'Equipe Militaire d'Evaluation et le Centre conjoint de fusion des Renseignements ont été encourages a poursuivre leurs activités sur terrain. Le Sommet a souhaite qu'a la suite de la Tanzanie, d'autres pays contribuent des contingents a la FIN puissent également se prononcer.
En fin, les Chefs d’Etat ont saisi l’occasion pour féliciter le Gouvernement et le peuple de l’Ouganda à l’ occasion de la célébration du 50eme anniversaire de son indépendance.
Kampala, 8 octobre 2012

Communiqué de Presse

Communiqué de Presse

Pan-African News Wire: Need For New Beginning in DRC

Pan-African News Wire: Need For New Beginning in DRC