PRESS STATEMENT ON DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO BY PRESIDENT OF SECURITY COUNCIL

PRESS STATEMENT ON DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO BY PRESIDENT OF SECURITY COUNCIL

Following is the text of today's press statement on the Democratic Republic of the Congo by the President of the Security Council, Ole Peter Kolby (Norway):

The members of the Security Council voiced deep concern about information received on attacks on Moliro on southern Lake Tanganyika. The Council demands that all fighting cease and calls on all parties to settle their differences through negotiations.

The members of the Council called upon the parties of the inter-Congolese dialogue to pursue their work in a spirit of consensus and encouraged the facilitators to pursue their efforts.

The Council welcomed the deployment of the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) to Kisangani and Kindu in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and called upon all parties to facilitate this process, in particular by granting MONUC access to airports and port structures.

The Council repeated its call for the demilitarization of Kisangani, in keeping with resolution 1304, and called for the full reopening of the river, including to commercial traffic.

The Council noted with concern the interruption of United Nations humanitarian assistance due to lack of funding.

The Members of the Security Council have decided to send a mission to the Great Lakes region in early May, in order to give new impetus to the peace process in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and in Burundi. The mission will be led by Ambassador Levitte of France. The Council will prepare the terms of reference for the mission in the coming days.

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