S/PV.4247 Security Council

Before we take up the item on the agenda for today’s meeting, I should like to welcome warmly the decision by Ukraine to close the Chernobyl nuclear power station on 15 December. That was not a simple decision for Ukraine. It is an important contribution to regional and global nuclear security and a major step towards overcoming the destructive consequences of the Chernobyl disaster, in the interests of all the countries affected by it. We are convinced that the continued assistance and support of the international community for Ukraine’s efforts are important in finding a solution to the ecological, social and economic problems associated with the closing of the Chernobyl nuclear power station. Adoption of the agenda The agenda was adopted. The situation concerning the Democratic Republic of the Congo Fifth report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (S/2000/1156)

I should like to inform the members of the Council that I have received a letter from the representative of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in which he requests to be invited to participate in the discussion of the item on the Council’s agenda. In accordance with the usual practice, I propose, with the consent of the Council, to invite that representative to participate in the discussion without the right to vote, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Charter and rule 37 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure. There being no objection, it is so decided. On behalf of the Council, I welcome the Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, His Excellency Mr. Léonard She Okitundu. At the invitation of the President, Mr. She Okitundu (Democratic Republic of the Congo) took a seat at the Council table.

The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. The Council is meeting in accordance with the understanding reached in its prior consultations. Members of the Council have before them the fifth report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, document S/2000/1156. Members of the Council also have before them document S/2000/1182, which contains the text of a draft resolution prepared in the course of the Council’s prior consultations. I should like to draw the attention of the members of the Council to the following changes to be made to the text of the draft resolution contained in document S/2000/1182 in its provisional form. In operative paragraph 7, (spoke in English) “in Eastern provinces” (spoke in Russian) should read (spoke in English) “in the eastern provinces” (spoke in Russian) in the appropriate language versions. Operative paragraph 8 should read as follows after “Mbandaka”: (spoke in English) “in due course and, subject to the proposals submitted by him under paragraph 7 above, to other areas he may deem necessary, including possibly to Goma or Bukavu”. (spoke in Russian) I should also like to draw the attention of the members of the Council to document S/2000/1186, which contains the text of a letter dated 13 December 2000 from the Permanent Representative of Rwanda addressed to the President of the Security Council. The first speaker on my list is the Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, His Excellency Mr. Léonard She Okitundu, to whom I now give the floor.

At a time when the Security Council is about to adopt an important draft resolution on the renewal of the mandate of the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC), I first have the pleasure, on behalf of the delegation accompanying me and on my own behalf, of warmly congratulating you, Sir, on your assumption of the presidency of the Security Council. We are pleased to have the representative of a fraternal country, the Russian Federation — a country with which the Democratic Republic of the Congo has long-standing relations of mutual esteem and respect — presiding over the Council on this day when the Council is to adopt a resolution that will have a significant impact on the immediate future of our country. In all humility, I have come here to convey to the members of the Council the most cordial greetings of the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and of the Congolese people, who have been so battered by a war of aggression to which they have been subjected, for more than two and a half years by an armed coalition from three neighbouring countries. Our delegation would also like to express our profound gratitude to the Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, for the remarkable and unceasing efforts he has made to try to halt the armed aggression against our country, and we salute him for the valuable contributions of his fifth report on the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC). Our presence here bears rigorous and sincere witness to the commitment of the Congolese Government and people — the various factions notwithstanding — to finding a peaceful, negotiated solution to the crisis that is tearing apart the Democratic Republic of the Congo and threatening the stability and development of the countries of the Central African subregion — and of all of Africa. We are convinced that part of the solution to the tragedy from which the Congolese people suffer each day lies in the hands of the Security Council, the principal United Nations body charged with the maintenance of international peace and security. And thus we here express the hope that a rapid and appropriate solution that takes into consideration the interests of the warring parties can be achieved. On the one hand, this means re-establishing the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s sovereignty and territorial integrity — basic rights guaranteed by the Charter of the United Nations — as well as halting the massive and flagrant violations of human rights and the other atrocities that are being committed against the civilian population, and halting the expropriation of the country’s resources, both those on the ground and those in the ground. On the other hand, this means addressing the security concerns of Rwanda, Uganda and Burundi. At this stage of my statement, allow me to review the most recent diplomatic initiatives taken by the African heads of State in order to try to revive the Lusaka process, which is grinding to a halt as regards the realization of the principal objectives, namely withdrawing the invading forces from the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s territory and ensuring the security of Rwanda, Uganda and Burundi. In fact, during these last two months the African heads of State have been engaged in intense diplomatic efforts to try to find a peaceful and speedy means of putting an end to the war that is now rampant in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Among these efforts, we might recall in particular the two summit meetings held in Maputo at the initiative of the President of South Africa, Thabo Mbeki, and the President of Mozambique, Joaquim Chissano; and the two related meetings, held in Pretoria, of the Ministers of Defence and the military chiefs of staff of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zimbabwe, Rwanda and the Republic of South Africa. At the conclusion of the first Maputo summit, the heads of State in attendance decided that all the forces of the parties should begin to retreat from the positions indicated in the disengagement plan that was adopted on 8 April in Kampala. It should be noted that Uganda and Rwanda, as the Secretary-General emphasizes in his latest report to the Security Council, had firmly committed themselves to retreat 15 kilometres beyond the positions proposed in this plan. Rwanda had formally announced its decision to retreat 200 kilometres further, while for its part Uganda, speaking through Rwanda, committed itself at the first Pretoria meeting to retreat up to 100 kilometres. Finally, the heads of State created a committee of Ministers of Defence and military chiefs of staff of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zimbabwe, Rwanda and the Republic of South Africa, and charged this committee with drafting a withdrawal plan for Rwanda and Uganda, as well as the mechanism for disarming the armed groups. This committee has met twice and has reviewed two plans, which were presented by the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda respectively. These two plans support the objectives of disengaging the forces on the ground in order to institute an effective ceasefire, of having Rwanda and Uganda withdraw from Congolese territory, of deploying a buffer force along the common borders, and of disarming the armed groups. It must be noted, however, that the two parties have yet to agree on arrangements for the sequences of agreed activities. During the second Maputo summit, which was held last 27 November, the heads of State of South Africa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Uganda and Mozambique, and the representatives of Namibia and Angola, reviewed once again — in the company of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and the Force Commander of MONUC — the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. At the conclusion of this summit, the heads of State reaffirmed their support for the disengagement plan of Kampala and charged MONUC with supervising its implementation on the ground. We would like to formally confirm to the Council our assurances to cooperate strictly so that MONUC could successfully carry out its mission — assurances that His Excellency Mr. Laurent Désiré Kabila, President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, gave publicly to the Special Representative of the Secretary-General. Later, during its 29 November meeting in Lusaka, the political committee established by the Lusaka Agreement, adopted unanimously the disengagement subplans. These plans were signed by the military chiefs of staff of all the parties — but one — at Harare on 6 December 2000. It is worth noting that, in addition to the Maputo summit, meetings were held at Kinshasa and Tripoli on 27 October 2000 and 8 November 2000 respectively. The heads of State of Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Congo (Brazzaville), as well as the Prime Ministers of the Central African Republic and Equatorial Guinea met at Kinshasa under the leadership of the President of Gabon, Omar Bongo. Condemning the harmful consequences on the neighbouring countries and the risks of igniting the entire subregion, the group asked Rwanda and Uganda to withdraw immediately from the Democratic Republic of the Congo in order to allow the Congolese themselves, without interference or foreign intervention, to find a solution to their internal political problems. In addition, at this summit MONUC was asked to play a greater role in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Finally, President Muammar Al-Qadhafi held a summit in Tripoli on 8 November, at which the Presidents of Rwanda, Uganda, Mali and Zimbabwe actively participated, along with representatives of Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Africa. At the conclusion of these meetings, the participants agreed on the immediate deployment of a neutral African force which would guarantee the security of the borders of Rwanda and Uganda and which would determine the size of the armed groups currently in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with a view to disarming them. Several countries — Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa and Libya — were even mentioned as contributors; while the United Nations would handle the management, financing and supervision of the forces on the ground. As the Council members will undoubtedly note, the purpose of all these summits and meetings is the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of the armies of Rwanda and Uganda and the establishment of the principles of deploying neutral buffer forces along the common borders to ensure the security of Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi — while awaiting the implementation of monitoring machinery that can prevent any reoccurrence of the kind of crisis from which we are currently suffering. It is for us, therefore, to thank sincerely and vigorously all the African leaders and other prominent individuals who worked continuously and tirelessly to restore peace in our country. Our concern is to regain our sovereignty and territorial integrity and it is essential, therefore, that the disengagement subplans be immediately implemented in accord with the three- phase schedule that was adopted at Harare, and that these plans be followed by a plan for the withdrawal of the forces of Rwanda and Uganda. It is our duty, however, to draw the international community’s attention to possible manœuvres by parties opposed to peaceful means, who could intentionally create insecurity at the front line by relaunching the fighting so as to delay the deployment of neutral observers and United Nations troops. The Secretary-General’s report has the signal merit of seeking ways to restore lasting peace in our country. The Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo believes that, if the crisis is to be overcome, it is necessary for the United Nations, through its Secretary-General, to become further involved, in close cooperation with the Organization of African Unity and regional leaders, in African initiatives aimed at relaunching the peace process. These African initiatives enjoy the two-fold advantage of meeting the security concerns of Rwanda and Uganda and of responding to the need to restore the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In the search for peace, while it is true that the armed groups must be disarmed, the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo feels that it would be militarily impossible and ill-advised to undertake such action in the presence and with the active participation of the troops of Rwanda and Uganda, which could be tempted to exploit that opportunity to take reprisals against civilian Congolese who are legitimately resisting the occupation of their lands. In such circumstances, Rwanda and Uganda would become both judges and parties to the situation. That is why the Democratic Republic of the Congo supports the procedure of deploying a neutral interposition force along the common border. In this respect, the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo pledges to work to facilitate the task of MONUC by ensuring its freedom of movement throughout our territory. Moreover, we are committed to cooperating with MONUC in the rapid deployment of United Nations troops and urge Rwanda and Uganda to do likewise, especially by fulfilling the provisions of resolution 1304 (2000) of 16 June 2000, which demands that Ugandan and Rwandan forces immediately and completely withdraw from Kisangani and respect the demilitarization of the city and its environs. With respect to the inter-Congolese dialogue, we have the honour of confirming that the Head of State of the Democratic Republic of the Congo remains convinced of the need for reconciliation among the Congolese. Furthermore, the President of the Republic recently took the first steps in that direction by meeting early this month with the unarmed domestic opposition to prepare for the meeting between the Government and all Congolese opposition parties, scheduled for the second half of the month in Libreville. For us, this is an extremely important event, opening the way to national reconciliation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This initiative requires the financial and logistical support of the international community and the presence of neutral observers. This is clear evidence that the Government is determined to promote the holding of an inter- Congolese dialogue in strict respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It goes without saying that a truly Congolese dialogue can be undertaken in a valid and tranquil way only without interference from Rwanda and Uganda. Being totalitarian, those two countries are not qualified to sponsor the democratization process in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Lastly, we take this opportunity to announce that the President of the Republic has decided to release all so-called prisoners of conscience so as to allow all political actors to attend the gathering in Libreville. Following all the efforts made by our Government towards the emergence of genuine national reconciliation among the sons and daughters of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, it is up to the Council to bring pressure to bear on Rwanda and Uganda to leave the occupied Congolese provinces and to respond to the gathering, which is already being seen as prefiguring the inter-Congolese dialogue. Throughout our statement, we have recalled the diplomatic initiatives undertaken by the African heads of States to break the deadlock in the Lusaka Ceasefire Agreement. The Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo expects the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of the armed forces of Rwanda, Uganda and Burundi from its national territory. The implementation of the three phases of the timetable of disengagement subplans adopted on 6 December 2000 in Harare could be an initial decisive stage. The deployment of an interposition force along the common borders of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda and Uganda would best meet the concerns of all parties. In this respect, our Government supports these plans, which Rwanda and Uganda have accepted without reservation. We therefore invite the United Nations to be further involved in all African initiatives aimed at giving new impetus to the peace process. To that end, it is urgent that the international community, through the Security Council, take advantage of the disengagement subplans adopted in Harare by authorizing the deployment, in accordance with the agreed timetable, of neutral forces at the front line and in the Congolese border towns of Bukavu, Goma, Bunia and Uvira. We are gratified by the excellent relations between MONUC and our Government and we take this opportunity to welcome the efforts made by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ambassador Kamel Morjane, to restore lasting peace in our country. We express the hope that the resolution to be adopted by the Security Council contains provisions allowing MONUC effectively to discharge its mandate. We cannot conclude this statement without paying heartfelt tribute and expressing our sincerest thanks to the outgoing members of the Security Council for their tireless efforts to restore peace in our country. Our Government and people are infinitely grateful to them and offer them all our appreciation. We remain convinced that the new members being welcomed into the Council next month will demonstrate the same zeal and dedication to allowing our people, who have suffered so terribly in body and spirit, to recover all its dignity.

I thank the Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Democratic Republic of the Congo for his kind words addressed to my country. It is my understanding that the Council is ready to proceed to the vote on the draft resolution (S/2000/1182) before it, as orally revised in its provisional form. Unless I hear any objection, I shall put the draft resolution to the vote now. There being no objection, it is so decided.

There were 15 votes in favour. The draft resolution, as orally revised in its provisional form, has been adopted unanimously as resolution 1332 (2000). The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on its agenda. The meeting rose at 11.30 a.m.