SECRETARY-GENERAL WELCOMES WITHDRAWAL OF ARMED FORCES FROM DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO

SECRETARY-GENERAL WELCOMES WITHDRAWAL OF ARMED FORCES

FROM DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO

The following statement was issued today by the spokesman for Secretary-General Kofi Annan:

The Secretary-General welcomes the continuing withdrawal of the armed forces of Rwanda, Uganda, Zimbabwe and Angola from the territory of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).  He encourages the Governments of Rwanda, Uganda, Zimbabwe and Angola to continue with the withdrawal of their forces, in accordance with recent agreements and relevant Security Council resolutions, and to share all information with the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC).

The Secretary-General urges all parties in the DRC to work in good faith towards an expeditious resolution of the conflict that has caused so much suffering.

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