S/PV.5580 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 the members of the Security Council, I have been authorized to make the following statement on behalf of the Council. “The Security Council welcomes the announcement by the Supreme Court of Justice on 27 November of the formal results of the second round of the presidential election in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. “The Security Council congratulates President Joseph Kabila on his election and commends once again the Congolese people, whose determination and sense of civic responsibility enabled the first democratic elections to be held in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in more than 40 years. “The Security Council welcomes Mr. Jean- Pierre Bemba’s commitment, in his statement on 28 November 2006, to continue to participate actively in Congolese politics within the framework of the institutions of the Republic. “The Security Council looks forward to the completion of the electoral process, and reiterates the need for all political parties to act responsibly after the elections within the framework of democratic institutions and the rule of law. The Security Council attaches great importance to the fact that the democratically elected Government should work side by side with all Congolese people and political actors to address the many reconstruction and security challenges facing the country and ensure the long-term peace and stability in the Democratic Republic of Congo. “The Security Council expresses its sincere appreciation for the central role played by the Independent Electoral Commission and the Congolese National Police in, respectively, organizing the elections and providing security during the electoral process. It commends the invaluable support provided for the holding of the elections by the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC), the EUFOR operation and by all the regional and international partners, in particular the African Union, South Africa and the European Union. The Security Council also recalls the vital roles that the International Committee of Eminent Persons and the International Committee in Support of the Transition (ICST) have been playing throughout the electoral process. “The Security Council pays tribute to the donor community for the assistance they have provided to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in particular to the electoral process, and encourages the international community as a whole to continue to assist the Democratic Republic of the Congo during the process of peace consolidation, reconstruction and recovery. “The Security Council expresses its serious concern at the recent hostilities launched by non- integrated army units in Sake, in the North Kivu province, and at the impact that these actions have had on the civilian population including women, children and the elderly. It calls on these units to cease their hostilities, return without delay to their initial positions and submit themselves to the army integration or demobilization processes. “The Security Council encourages MONUC, in accordance with its mandate, to continue to address with determination such security challenges, and supports the steps it has taken recently in this regard, particularly in the district of Ituri and the North Kivu province.” This statement will be issued as a document of the Security Council under the symbol S/PRST/2006/50. The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on its agenda.