S/PV.4476 Security Council

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. Following consultations among members of the Security Council, I have been authorized to make the following statement on behalf of the Council: “The Security Council welcomes the tenth report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) (S/2002/169) and expresses its intention to consider its recommendations. The Security Council calls on all the parties to the conflict to display their political will in order to achieve a peaceful settlement and reconciliation. The Security Council urges all the parties to the Lusaka Ceasefire Agreement (S/1998/815) to fulfil all their commitments under the Agreement and under the relevant resolutions of the Council. “The Security Council stresses the importance of the inter-Congolese dialogue, which is an essential element to achieve lasting peace. It reiterates its strong support for the Facilitator and his team. It calls on all Congolese parties to participate in this process, and to do so in a constructive spirit. “The Security Council reiterates its call for the withdrawal of all foreign troops from the territory of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It also stresses that the disarmament, demobilization, repatriation, resettlement and reintegration process of the armed groups mentioned in annex A, Chapter 9.1 of the Lusaka Ceasefire Agreement is another key element for the settlement of the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and in this regard: – reiterates its support for MONUC, which is deploying in the East of the country in order to facilitate this process; – calls on the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to fulfil its commitments regarding the repatriation of the ex-combatants in Kamina; – taking note of the request expressed by President Kabila to the Security Council, requests MONUC to make a first assessment of the number of members of the Rwandan armed groups (ex-FAR and Interahamwe) in the territory of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and to report to the Council by the end of March. Based on this assessment, the Council will examine whether any further support should be given to MONUC in the execution of its task; – recalls that all parties have a major responsibility to contribute to the disarmament, demobilization, repatriation, resettlement and reintegration process and that the Joint Military Commission has a role in this respect, in cooperation with MONUC. “The Security Council takes note of the reinforcement of the MONUC presence in Kisangani and reiterates its demand that the city be demilitarized, in accordance with its relevant resolutions. In this regard, it also stresses the importance of the full reopening of the Congo River, including to commercial traffic, and calls on all parties to cooperate in this regard. “The Security Council expresses its concern at the persistent human rights violations, in particular in the east of the country, and calls on all parties to put an end to these violations.” This statement will be issued as a document of the Security Council under the symbol S/PRST/2002/5. The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on its agenda.