Secretary-General Welcomes Kampala Dialogue’s Conclusion as ‘Positive Step’

 

Towards Ending Deadly Violence in Democratic Republic of Congo

 

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon:

The Secretary-General welcomes the conclusion today of the Kampala Dialogue between the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the 23 March Movement, through the signing of declarations by the parties today in Nairobi, Kenya, and by a Final Communiqué by President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda and President Joyce Banda of Malawi, in their capacities as Chairs of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) and Southern African Development Community (SADC).  This constitutes a positive step towards ending cycles of deadly conflicts that have caused immense suffering to the Congolese people.

The Secretary-General congratulates the Government of the Republic of Uganda for hosting and facilitating the talks under the auspices of the ICGLR.

The Secretary-General notes that the outcome documents of the Kampala Dialogue do not grant immunity to alleged perpetrators of war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide or gross violations of human rights.  He urges the parties to begin implementation without delay and to fully respect their commitments.  He extends the full support of the United Nations to facilitate the implementation process, as needed.

The Secretary-General calls on all other armed groups in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to lay down their weapons and pursue their objectives through peaceful political means.  The Secretary-General hopes that the Democratic Republic of the Congo and its neighbours will build on the latest positive developments by working together to address the root causes of instability in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo through the full implementation of their commitments under the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the region.

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For information media • not an official record