Kinshasa (Fides Service) - Dismantle the networks of arms trafficking and financial support behind wars in Africa! This appeal was launched to the United Nations Organisation from the Democratic Republic of Congo at the end of the 18th Scientific Seminary held at the Faculty of Economics and Development at the Catholic University of Kinshasa, 7-10 May. The theme of the Seminar was “Solutions for armed conflicts and Development for Africa” (See Fides Service 5 May 2003). From the Seminar there emerged the call to ensure that Africa is not used as a field of experimentation of new weapons by the foreign powers backing the numerous guerrilla movements in Africa.
The Seminar participants call on the United Nations Organisation to organise a Conference under UN aegis, for the countries of the Great Lakes region disrupted by years of wars being fought in Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Burundi and Uganda. The Conference will have the objective of finding lasting solutions to border conflicts which embitter relations between the countries in question.
The Seminar calls on the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo to promote regional alliances to guarantee security of persons and their goods. Lastly they say that those responsible for sacking and for illegal exploitation of D. Congo’s resources must be punished.
The Seminar calls on the African Union to work to ensure that its members achieve authentic political and economic independence.
Copies of the Seminar’s final report will be forwarded to the UN Mission in Congo MONUC, and the governments of Democratic Republic of Congo, Belgium, France, Germany, Great Britain and the United States. LM (Fides Service 15/5/2003 EM lines 27 Words: 298)