S/PV.4348Resumption1 Security Council

The President (spoke in Chinese): The next speaker inscribed on my list is the representative of Namibia. I invite him to take a seat at the Council table and to make his statement.

Mr. Theron (Namibia): I wish to congratulate you, Mr. President, on assuming the presidency of the Security Council and on arranging this important meeting. My delegation also wishes to commend Ambassador Chowdhury for the excellent manner in which he conducted the work of the Council in June. My delegation is grateful for the presence of the Secretary-General this morning and for his important statement. I also wish to thank Ambassador Kamel Morjane for his excellent briefing regarding the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. My delegation welcomes the detailed information from Ambassador Morjane about the general situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the fact that the ceasefire has been holding. We also note the progress made so far in the disengagement and redeployment of forces, as well as the overall progress in the peace process in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The information has provided the Council with an excellent opportunity to evaluate the matter and reflect on future strategies. My delegation wishes to make use of this opportunity to reaffirm its commitment to the Lusaka Ceasefire Agreement, the Kampala plan and the Harare sub-plans on the disengagement and redeployment of forces in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as well as to Security Council resolutions on the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Furthermore, we welcome the progress in the preparation for the inter-Congolese dialogue and note that the preparatory meeting was postponed until 20 August due to organizational difficulties. We note with appreciation the Congolese Government's support for the dialogue and its efforts to facilitate the dialogue. My delegation reiterates its position that the dialogue should take place on Congolese soil and be conducted without foreign interference. However, we note with deep concern that some parties still continue to frustrate the peace process, in violation of agreements and Security Council resolutions. In this regard, we are particularly concerned that the city of Kisangani and its surroundings are still not demilitarized, as demanded by resolution 1304 (2000) of 16 June 2000 and resolution 1355 (2001). My delegation therefore calls on the Security Council to enforce its decision on this matter by invoking measures envisaged under paragraph 28 of its resolution 1355 (2001). Specifically, in that paragraph, the Council expressed its readiness to consider possible measures that could be imposed in accordance with its responsibilities and obligations under the Charter of the United Nations in case the parties fail to comply fully with resolution 1355 (2001) and other relevant resolutions. My delegation remains deeply concerned about the acute humanitarian situation facing the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In this regard, we reiterate our previous call to the international community for assistance to the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. We also strongly support the projects initiated by the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) and urge that they be expanded. Such projects, together with the opening of the Congolese river network, apart from their economic benefits, can also assist confidence-building in the country. As stated at the time of the decision, my delegation welcomes the extension of the mandate of MONUC until 15 June 2002. However, we express the hope that the Security Council will, in considering the mandate and size of MONUC in its phase III deployment, take fully into account the demands and requirements of the peacekeeping operation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In conclusion, my delegation wishes to extend its profound gratitude to Ambassador Kamel Morjane for the outstanding service he has rendered to the peace process in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. His diplomatic skills and personal commitment have contributed significantly to the progress achieved thus far in the peace process. My delegation wishes him well in his future endeavours.

The President (spoke in Chinese): I thank the representative of Namibia for his kind words addressed to me. The next speaker inscribed on my list is the representative of Zimbabwe. I invite him to take a seat at the Council table and to make his statement.

Mr. Jokonya (Zimbabwe): Like my colleagues who have spoken before me, I would like to congratulate you, Mr. President, on your assumption of the presidency of the Security Council for this month. You are aware of the very close relations between our two countries, which we shall always cherish. The timing of today's meeting could not have been more perfect, coming as it does after the Security Council has been briefed on the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo by the Secretary- General's Special Representative to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, my brother and dear friend, Ambassador Morjane, who has assumed in our eyes in Africa the role of a spirit medium in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. My delegation regards it as a privilege to participate in this open debate on the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Let me take this occasion to congratulate the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) on the sterling work it has accomplished in the last few months. Indeed the deployment of MONUC, together with the cooperation of the Lusaka Ceasefire Agreement signatories, has transformed challenges into possibilities. For their part, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) allied forces in the Democratic Republic of the Congo took heed of the Security Council's condition that phase II of MONUC deployment would be contingent on the disengagement of all foreign troops. In this regard, Ambassador Morjane can confirm that since the United Nations situated itself at the head of the table of the Democratic Republic of the Congo peace process through the deployment of MONUC, Zimbabwe has been withdrawing its troops from both the front lines and from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. My delegation also wishes to acknowledge the indomitable will of the Congolese people in their quest to shape a new political destiny for posterity. Despite the cataclysmic conflict that has resulted in the death of more than 2 million people, mostly in the occupied territories, the inter-Congolese dialogue remains on schedule. In this regard, the political space of civil society, especially in occupied eastern Congo, should be recognized. The Council will recall that in my previous pronouncement on the Democratic Republic of the Congo imbroglio, I noted three intertwined but different types of conflicts that dominated the Great Lakes landscape, namely, conventional war, guerrilla insurgency and ethnic cleansing. While the first type of conflict, conventional war, which involved State actors, has ceased, the other two types are yet to subside. This explains the upsurge of violence in the two Kivus over the last few weeks. It is in the occupied territories that MONUC is facing harassment and obstructions, particularly from the Rassemblement congolais pour la democratic (RCD- Goma). While it is not the object of my delegation to apportion blame, I call on the Security Council to urge those Lusaka signatories that support RCD-Goma to encourage their ally to toe the line. We know that RCD-Goma is a pawn and can be ordered to comply. It is time to stop the continuous exploitation, repression and oppression of the Congolese people by the RCD- Goma. We agree with my colleague of the Russian Federation that sanctions and other measures must be imposed because of RCD recalcitrance. The SADC allied forces have done their part. If stock of what hitherto has been achieved were taken, it would show that the SADC allied forces have fulfilled their part of the bargain. When President Joseph Kabila addressed the Security Council on 2 February 2001, he recognized that the Lusaka Ceasefire Agreement was the route map for United Nations engagement in the Democratic Republic of the Congo peace process. The Lusaka Ceasefire Agreement, in accordance with the United Nations Charter, acknowledges the indivisibility of the Congo. It is disheartening to note that Kisangani remains militarized despite the adoption of the resolution by the United Nations calling for its demilitarization. The demilitarization of Kisangani merits the attention of this Council, and, in this regard, my delegation urges those Lusaka signatories responsible for the destruction of Kisangani to fulfil their ceasefire obligations. The joke - for it can only be ajoke of the RCD- Goma - that they are protecting human rights through the illegal occupation of parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is not only farcical, but constitutes blatant disregard for the rights of the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It makes a mockery of the Security Council and the United Nations. It must be dealt with. Lastly, let me thank the Security Council for raising both the visibility and the physical presence of the United Nations through the deployment of MONUC. MONUC, with the Joint Military Commission, has commendably driven the peace process. But let us not lose sight of the fact that the sheer size of the Congo makes it impossible for MONUC to effectively discharge its multifaceted duties, which at some stage would involve the tracking down, disarming and rehabilitation of members of the armed groups that are not signatories to the Lusaka Agreement. If MONUC is having difficulties with a non-State actor but a signatory to the Lusaka Ceasefire Agreement, like the RCD-Goma, what others would it have with those other elements which are not part of the Lusaka Agreement? I therefore urge the Security Council to revise upward MONUC troop levels so as to enable it to accomplish its monumental task. Indeed, the goodwill demonstrated to the Democratic Republic of the Congo by the international community, manifested by the creation of MONUC, should, in our view, be sustained. In conclusion, may I pay homage to a great son of Africa, my friend here, Ambassador Morjane. I know that Ambassador Morjane will consider that we do not need to pay him compliments for performing his duty to mother Africa. This may be so, but members know as well as I that not all sons of Africa have done the continent proud. We are proud of him. We shall always cherish his indomitable courage, candour and total commitment to the cause of peace in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. As he goes to a new assignment, we know that he will continue to serve humanity and mother Africa.

The President (spoke in Chinese): I thank the representative of Zimbabwe for his kind words addressed to me. I shall now give the floor to Ambassador Morjane to respond to the comments made and questions raised.

Mr. Morjane (spoke in French): The very kind comments concerning what has been said and concerning what I have modestly done in the Congo must certainly have been exaggerated because of the friendship that links me to some of those present. However, I wish to thank members very warmly for everything that has been said. I will take from here a very moving memory. With regard to everything that has been said, particularly about my colleagues, I wish once again to stress to the Council that, even if it they are far from us now, they continue to do their work. I wish to express once again all my feelings of faithfulness and warmth towards them. I thank the members of the Council for the kind words addressed to me and, above all, to them. Once again, thank you. I will, at your request, Mr. President, respond to three questions asked - two by Ambassador Valdivieso of Colombia and one by Ambassador Durrant of Jamaica. The first of Ambassador Valdivieso's two questions touches on the question of the development of the joint Congo River Basin Commission initiative, as envisaged in Security Council resolution 1355 (2001). I wish to simply say that in the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) we are working on freedom of navigation at three levels. The first level is the freedom of movement of all MONUC vehicles, be they land, river or air vehicles, and we do not have any arrangement to make with the parties apart from keeping them informed. In that context, the first barge went from Kinshasa to Kisangani about a month ago, as is known. The second level is the humanitarian level. Here, above all, we stress the need for all the parties to grant free access to United Nations humanitarian personnel and humanitarian personnel of non-governmental organizations. I hope that that will crystallize on 31 July with what is called the "peace boat", which should leave Kinshasa for Equateur Province. This also responds to a point concerning the Ubangui, since we are also thinking about the Ubangui when we consider freedom of navigation on the Congo. I hope that the Rassemblement congolais pour la democratic (RCD), with which I had a discussion two weeks ago, will allow the second boat to leave Kinshasa for Kisangani. But this brings us to the third level, that of the Joint Military Commission. We have proposed a draft agreement to the various parties, Governments and rebel movements to regulate river navigation. We expect to get their comments and observations very soon, and I hope to meet with all the parties to finalize this agreement among all the parties so that freedom of navigation on the Congo and the Ubangui will be a reality, which will be important for peace, but above all for future relations among the Congolese, wherever they are. I also wish to thank and to pay a strong tribute to Uruguay, which has, as members know, already deployed its river unit at Mbandaka. We hope to be able to have a second unit, be it from Uruguay or another country, at Kisangani, because clearly the task is enormous and one unit alone is not enough to ensure the safety of navigation. I am sorry ifI have spoken too long on this topic, but the Council is aware, of course, of the importance we attach to this question. As I said earlier, I hope that we will soon have the agreement of all parties concerning the proposed draft convention. We will certainly be extending it to the other countries of the region, the other countries of the Congo Basin, in order to be able effectively to guarantee navigation on the Ubangi as well and fully involve both the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The second question came from Ambassador Valdivieso, and it concerned the extent of the cooperation that we are receiving from the parties concerning the process of disarmament, demobilization, reintegration and repatriation or resettlement. Let me say here - and I believe that Ambassador Cunningham also raised this question - that MONUC has prepared what is known as a concept paper, which is a basic paper we will be discussing at the departmental level and with all of the United Nations agencies that should be involved. We are already in touch with all of those who could contribute to this important peace operation. It is especially important also because, as we all know, it is linked with the departure of Rwandese troops in particular. We are working on this question with the Joint Military Commission and with a number of agencies. Let me note here that, for example, the World Bank has already agreed to make available to MONUC a World Bank executive to ensure coordination with MONUC and to serve, in a way, as our liaison in the area of rehabilitation, where the Bank could play a major role. The same thing is true of the International Organization for Migration, which could certainly also provide assistance in the framework of transportation, repatriation and rehabilitation. We are working on this. We hope for greater cooperation from the parties, particularly with respect to information. We are greatly lacking in information, especially as concerns armed groups, and also definitely in terms of subsequent cooperation, with a view to providing answers for all of the questions that are still pending and that have not yet been resolved at the level of the Joint Military Commission. The Commission, as the Council is aware, must finalize the disarmament, demobilization, reintegration and repatriation or resettlement plan. General Diallo spoke today to President Kabila about the two camps that he mentioned. He confirmed that MONUC will be visiting the first two camps in the next few days. This is very important for us, because, of course, it will serve as an encouragement for the operation, even though we are talking about fairly limited numbers with respect to the two camps that President Kabila spoke of to the Secretary-General and to President Kagame. The third question was put by Ambassador Durrant and relates to resolution 1341 (2001) and whether it has been respected, especially as concerns child soldiers. Unfortunately I must inform the Ambassador of Jamaica that it has not been sufficient. Much remains to be done regarding resolution 1341 (2001) and the situation of child soldiers. Just yesterday, as the Council is aware, I was speaking to the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on the measures that need to be taken. I think he has already briefed the Council on the mission, which, I would note, was sent to the Congo at the request of the Ambassador of Jamaica. I think that the parties need to be encouraged and pressed further to respect those provisions. All parties must make an effort in this direction. As to the violations of the ceasefire - because Miss Durrant referred to this as well, and because assistance to armed groups is considered a ceasefire violation - MONUC has a list of complaints and allegations from all sides, but especially from the RCD. That list includes some forty or so complaints. About 10 days ago, it was submitted to the Joint Military Commission. Unfortunately, we were not able to verify all of the allegations, simply because, in most cases, they took place in areas of the Congolese territory where there are no signatory parties that could ensure the safety of our observers. So even if a party makes an allegation, if that party cannot ensure our safety or accompany us, because verification must be made with the participation of both parties - the complainant party and the defendant party, if you will - then, as happened in many cases, verification cannot proceed. In other cases we were able to do this, and we sent about 40 cases to the Joint Military Commission, as provided for by our cooperation arrangements with that Commission. This, then, is what I had to say, in addition to thanking you, Mr. President. And simply to give a clearer picture of the regrettably fragile nature of the ceasefire and of the process, let me recall what you already certainly know: the state of tension that has prevailed since yesterday in Nienze, near Bunia, and once again between the Hema and Lendu communities. We have to take very serious measures and precautions there, because it seems that the situation is not at all good in that region of the Congo. This illustrates to what extent we are at the mercy of the many actions or provocations that may arise in one area or another. I should like once again to thank you, Mr. President, and all of the members of the Council. I remain at the Council's disposal. As the Council is aware, I will return to Kinshasa and will be there until at least 7 or 8 September.

The President (spoke in Chinese): I thank Mr. Morjane for the clarifications he has made and the answers he has given to the questions posed. There are no further speakers inscribed on my list. The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on its agenda. The Security Council will remain seized of the matter. The meeting rose at 5.10 pm.