Global Policy Forum

By Hopewell Radebe

The Democratic Republic of Congo's peace process received a major boost yesterday from United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Kofi Annan. Annan backed the decision by the country's transitional government to disarm Rwandan rebels in Congo by force after they failed to honour pledges to disarm and return home. The move will help reduce tension between Congo and its neighbour, Rwanda. Kigali threatened in March to lead a military offensive into Congo to hunt down the rebels amid calls from the region, including SA, that negotiations be given a chance.

In his 18th report to the UN Security Council on the UN's peacekeeping mission in Congo, Annan welcomed the commitment made on July 16 by the transitional government to take forcible action to disarm the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda. "It is most regrettable that the long-awaited declaration by the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda in Rome on March 31 has not resulted in concrete progress towards disarmament and the repatriation of combatants," he said in a statement released yesterday.

The UN said that it had prepared six temporary assembly areas for voluntary disarmament. However, rebel leader Ignace Murwanashyaka left Congo in mid-May "without issuing orders to the combatants to enter the disarmament, demobilisation, repatriation, reintegration and rehabilitation programme".

On the question of public revenues, Annan called for the extension of state authority across the whole country so that the government could collect the revenues needed to provide services to the Congolese people. He said that Congo's transitional government had to address illegal mining in the east of the country, install security at border-crossing points and reintegrate the resource-rich Ituri province into the country. "Without such decisive action, revenues will continue to be misappropriated by illegal actors, undermining the transitional government's credibility and endangering progress towards peace," Annan said.

The government, aided by donors, had to ensure Congo's armed forces were paid and that they received adequate logistical support for security operations. It was difficult to assess whether direct support to the militia groups in Ituri was being provided from neighbouring countries, Annan said.

However, reports indicated that representatives of the groups were moving freely between Congo, Uganda and Rwanda. They were even able to attend meetings and to conduct financial transactions. He said there were unconfirmed reports that militia in Ituri were regularly receiving weapons, including shipments from across Lake Albert. "In a striking development, many representatives of armed groups met openly in Kampala (the Ugandan capital) in mid-June to form the Mouvement Révolutionnaire Congolais -- whose aim is to oppose the extension of state authority throughout Ituri," Annan said.

As a result, he called on the international community to exert increased pressure on the neighbouring countries to refrain from supporting militia groups and violating the arms embargo. Annan said the international community should encourage mining and trading companies "to abide by good business practices in politically volatile and sensitive areas".

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