Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Kinshasa (Agenzia Fides)- A call to the United Nations Organisation to intensify collaboration with the Congolese authorities to gain control of certain “negative forces” operating in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, was launched at the end of a meeting of Defence and Foreign Ministers of the Great Lakes region.
The two day meeting held in Kampala, capital of Uganda, brought together delegations from Uganda, D. R. Congo, Rwanda and Burundi.
The aim was to lower tension in the area connected with the crisis in the east Congo area of north Kivu (see Fides 11 September 2007), and reach an agreement for the disarmament of the armed groups operating in the area which are a threat for the whole region. During the meeting the position of the Congo government which says Rwanda supports the rebel general Nkunda, came up against the position of Rwanda, which gives priority to disarming and demobilising the Rwandan Hutu militia still present on Congolese territory. In the final statement the participants expressed “concern for deteriorated security conditions, especially destabilising role of former general Laurent Nkunda and former RAF (Rwandan Armed Forces, the troops of the old Rwandan regime responsible for the genocide in 1994)”.
In north Kivu a precarious cease fire agreed last week between the army and Nkunda rebels appears to be holding, after a week of fighting which forced tens of thousands of people to abandon their homes, according the UN humanitarian agencies.
Security is a central question for DRC government which must succeed in disarming and integrating into the army or the civil society numerous members of the armed group which fought each other in the civil war 1998-2003. The Kinshasa authorities announced a panel discussion in late October on reforms in the security sector and the formation a professional army by the end of 2009. “We want to create a professional army capable of guaranteeing security throughout the national territory and to replace the UN mission in Congo” said vice defence minister Nelson Paluku. About 60 experts from Belgium, United Kingdom, South Africa, Angola and the European Mission for security reform in Congo, will participate with their Congolese colleagues at preparatory meetings for the panel discussion. Some 15 “integrated” brigades are being formed with former members of the various armed groups which signed the peace agreement in 2003 (see Fides 5 September 2007). According to the national commission for disarmament and demobilisation, in Congo there are still about 80,000 combatants to demobilise. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 18/9/2007 righe 36 parole 474)
