S/PV.5533 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. 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 pays tribute once again to the extraordinary commitment of the citizens of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, demonstrated by their peaceful participation in the first stage of democratic elections of historic importance to their nation. “The Security Council commends the substantial efforts being made by the United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) and the international community as a whole in support of peace and democratic elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It stresses its commitment to the peaceful conduct of the second round of the presidential election and of the provincial elections scheduled for 29 October 2006, and its determination to ensure that the peace process in the Democratic Republic of the Congo succeeds, in the interests of the Congolese people, as well as Central Africa and the Great Lakes region. “The Security Council deplores the violence that erupted in Kinshasa on 20 to 22 August 2006 between security forces loyal to President Kabila and Vice-President Bemba, and commends the effective action of EUFOR RD Congo in support of MONUC. “The Security Council shares the serious concern expressed by the International Committee in Support of the Transition (CIAT), in its statement of 11 September 2006, regarding the unchecked circulation of weapons and armed individuals in Kinshasa. It endorses its call for a cantonment of the security forces of both candidates and of troops of the Forces armées de la République démocratique du Congo in the province of Kinshasa, and for a ban on the circulation of armed individuals in this province. “The Security Council calls on all political parties and in particular President Kabila and Vice-President Bemba to restate their commitment to the peace process and to work within the framework they have agreed to establish with the facilitation of MONUC as a means of peacefully resolving political differences. It welcomes the meeting that took place between President Kabila and Vice- President Bemba as a first step in this direction and encourages them to continue to seek a peaceful resolution of their differences. “The Security Council recalls its support to the Independent Electoral Commission and to the High Media Authority. It urges all candidates and all parties in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to banish any message that could incite hatred and violence and to comply with the codes of conduct that those institutions have respectively elaborated for the conduct of free, fair and transparent elections in a peaceful climate. It commends the role of the International Committee of Eminent Persons and reiterates its support for it. It emphasizes again the importance of respecting the electoral calendar. “The Security Council invites the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1533 (2004) to examine the situation in Kinshasa, if appropriate, in the context of the arms embargo imposed by resolutions 1493 (2003) and 1596 (2005) and renewed by resolution 1698 (2006). It also expresses its readiness to consider possible measures against individuals and entities who would further threaten the conduct of free and fair elections, in particular through the use of ‘hate media’, preventing equal and responsible access to media, inciting violence and recourse to violence to prevent elections, dispute their outcome or subvert the peace process. “The Security Council emphasizes the need for all political parties to act responsibly within the framework of democratic institutions after the elections. “The Security Council underscores to the Congolese parties the importance of preventing impunity for those responsible for violations of human rights and international humanitarian law that constitute crimes.” This statement will be issued as a document of the Security Council under the symbol S/PRST/2006/40. The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on its agenda.