Kinshasa (Fides Service) - The United Nations Security Council has called for an end to the fighting in a civil war being fought since 1998 in Democratic Congo. In Resolution 1468 adopted on 20 March 2003 at its 4723rd meeting, the Security Council "Condemns the massacres and other systematic violations of International Humanitarian Law and human rights perpetrated in the Democratic Republic of the Congo… and reiterates that there will be no impunity for such acts and that the perpetrators will be held accountable" In this regard the resolution "encourages the Congolese parties forming the transitional government to establish as soon as possible a Truth and Reconciliation Commission charged with determining responsibility for serious violations of international humanitarian and human rights law". Moreover the resolutio "Requests the Secretary-General to increase the number of personnel in MONUC's human rights component to assist and enhance, in accordance with its current mandate, the capacity of the Congolese parties to investigate all the serious violations of international humanitarian law and human rights perpetrated on the territory of the Democratic Republic of the Congo".
Lastly the Council "Demands that all governments in the Great Lakes region immediately cease military and financial support to all the parties engaged in armed conflict in the Ituri region". See text in English at www.fides.org. (Fides Service 26/3/2003 EM lines 21 Words: 236)