S/PV.5162 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 she requests to be invited to participate in the consideration 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 Security Council is meeting in accordance with the understanding reached in its prior consultations. I should like to draw attention to document S/2005/223, which contains the text of a letter dated 4 April 2005 from the Permanent Representative of Rwanda addressed to the President of the Security Council. 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 welcomes the statement issued by the Forces démocratiques de libération du Rwanda (FDLR) in Rome, on 31 March 2005, in which they condemn the 1994 genocide and commit themselves to renounce the use of force and cease all offensive operations against Rwanda. It considers this encouraging statement as a significant opportunity to move towards the return of peace in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, national reconciliation in Rwanda, and full normalization of relations between the two countries. It commends the role of independent mediator played by the Sant’Egidio community. “The Security Council calls on the FDLR to turn their positive words into action and to demonstrate their commitment to peace by immediately handing all their arms to the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) and by taking part in the programme put in place for their earliest voluntary and peaceful return to Rwanda or resettlement, as well as by assisting the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda in Arusha to fulfil its mandate, particularly with regard to the arrest and transfer to its custody of indictees who remain at large. “The Security Council encourages all other armed groups in the Democratic Republic of the Congo that have not yet done so to renounce likewise the use of force and to take part without delay in the programmes of disarmament, demobilization and reintegration. “The Security Council urges the Governments of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda to work together, in close cooperation with MONUC, to make use of the chance given to them to contribute to peace and stability in the whole Great Lakes region of Africa. “The Security Council welcomes the Government of Rwanda’s commitment to receive former combatants, and urges the Government of Rwanda to guarantee the return and reintegration of FDLR members and their dependents to be repatriated, in accordance with applicable standards of international law and with respect for the rights and freedoms of the human being. “The Security Council recalls the need for an effective programme of reintegration to be quickly implemented with the support as appropriate of the international community.” This statement will be issued as a document of the Security Council under the symbol S/PRST/2005/15. The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on its agenda.