S/PV.5356 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 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 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 with the utmost firmness the attack against a detachment of the United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC), which occurred on 23 January 2006 in the national park of Garamba, resulting in the death of eight Guatemalan peacekeepers and the severe wounding of five others. It offers its condolences to the victims’ families and to the authorities of Guatemala. It commends the dedication of MONUC’s personnel, who operate in particularly hazardous conditions. “The Security Council considers this aggression to be an unacceptable outrage. The peacekeepers were involved in an operation against suspected elements of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) reported to be present in the park of Garamba. The LRA have conducted a long-running and vicious insurgency in northern Uganda which has caused the death, abduction and displacement of thousands of innocent civilians in Uganda, Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Council calls upon the Government of National Unity and Transition immediately to take all necessary measures to bring to justice those responsible for this attack. “The Security Council also condemns with the utmost firmness the recent seizure of villages in the area of Rutshuru, province of North Kivu, by insurgent elements. It expresses its concern at atrocities and human rights abuses which have been reported in this context. It considers all such actions to constitute a serious threat to the peace process and to the transition, and demands that these cease immediately. It stresses the need for unreserved commitment to the integration process of the armed forces, in the spirit of the Global and All-Inclusive Agreement. “The Security Council further underlines the importance of the electoral process not being disturbed and encourages in this regard ongoing efforts for community reconciliation. It also stresses in this context the importance of early adoption of the electoral law under discussion in the Parliament, and of respect for the timetable drawn up by the Independent Electoral Commission. “The Security Council reaffirms its commitment to and respect for the national sovereignty, political independence, territorial integrity and unity of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It expresses its solidarity with the Congolese people and its support to the Government of National Unity and Transition. It calls for the prompt extension of State authority throughout the Congolese territory. “The Security Council reiterates its call upon States in the region to deepen their cooperation with a view to putting an end to the activities of illegal armed groups, and reaffirms that any recourse to the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity of a State is contrary to the Charter of the United Nations. “The Security Council reaffirms its full support for MONUC, and urges MONUC to continue to fulfil its mandate with determination.” This statement will be issued as a document of the Security Council under the symbol S/PRST/2006/4. The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on its agenda.