S/PV.4756 Security Council

I should like to inform 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 conformity 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.

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. After consultations among members of the Security Council, I have been authorized to make the following statement on behalf of the Council: “The Security Council condemns the recent killings, the violence and other human rights violations and atrocities in Bunia, as well as the attacks against the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) and internally displaced persons who have sought refuge at the MONUC premises, and reiterates that there will be no impunity for such acts and that the perpetrators will be held accountable. It demands that all hostilities in Ituri cease immediately. The fighting is unacceptable. It threatens the stability of the Ituri area and severely undermines the continuation of the peace process and the establishment of the Transitional National Government. “The Security Council fully supports the work initiated by the Ituri Pacification Commission, established by the Luanda Agreement of 6 September 2002, under which the Ituri interim administration was formed, and encourages donors to provide additional funding and emphasizes that it is up to the various Congolese parties in Ituri to pursue an effective inclusive political and security mechanism in this framework. “The Security Council welcomes the agreement signed in Dar es Salaam on 16 May 2003 and calls on the parties to implement it fully and without delay. “The Security Council calls on all parties in the region to end all support to armed groups and refrain from any action that might compromise the return to peace in Ituri, in particular the work of the Ituri interim administration, and reaffirms its strong commitment to the sovereignty of the Democratic Republic of the Congo over all its territory. “The Security Council expresses its concern at the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Bunia and demands that all parties grant full and unimpeded access for humanitarian aid and guarantee the safety and security of humanitarian personnel. It also calls on the donor community to continue to support the humanitarian organizations. “The Security Council pays tribute to the work that has been achieved by the staff and contingents of MONUC in Ituri in very difficult conditions, and fully supports them. “The Security Council welcomes the efforts by the Secretary-General to address the urgent humanitarian and security situation in Bunia, including options for sending an emergency international force, and encourages him to complete consultations to this end as a matter of urgency. “The Security Council demands that all Congolese parties and regional States involved in the DRC conflict refrain from any action that could undermine the possible deployment of an international force.” This statement will be issued as a document of the Security Council under the symbol S/PRST/2003/6. The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on its agenda.