PRESS STATEMENT ON DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO BY SECURITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT

PRESS STATEMENT ON DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO BY SECURITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT

Following is the press statement on the Democratic Republic of the Congo delivered today by the Security Council President Munir Akram (Pakistan):

The Members of the Council expressed their concern on the situation in Ituri.  They urged all Congolese parties and all States in the region to support the process initiated by the Ituri Pacification Commission and to refrain from any activity which could undermine this process.  They reiterated that Uganda must fulfill its commitment to withdraw its forces from the Ituri area.

The members of the Council commended the efforts of the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) in this region and expressed their full support for MONUC in this regard.  They condemned in the strongest terms all threats and harassments to MONUC personnel on the ground.

The members of the Council condemned the violence which took place recently in the Kivus and demanded that such acts of violence cease immediately.

The members of the Council stressed that actions such as support to armed militias and fueling of ethnic tensions are totally inconsistent with national and local efforts at peace unification and reconciliation, and must end immediately.

The members of the Council reiterated that the leaders of all the warring factions should be held personally accountable for human rights violations committed in Ituri and other regions of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The members of the Council expressed their condolences over the deaths of MONUC personnel from Russia and China and the injuries received by a Romanian member of the mission.

The members of the Council welcomed progress towards the establishment of the transitional Government.

The members of the Council noted the need to address these urgent issues during the upcoming Security Council mission to the region.

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