Global Policy Forum

A UN panel on the exploitation of the Democratic Republic of Congo's natural resources told the UN Security Council on Friday that there was a need for a plan to rebuild state institutions, and that this process should be linked to an international conference on peace and development in Africa's Great Lakes region.

The chairman of the panel, Mahmoud Kaseem, also called for a moratorium on the purchase and export of precious products such as coltan, diamonds, gold, copper, cobalt, timber and coffee originating from those regions of the DRC as were occupied by foreign troops or were under the control of rebel forces, the UN reported. A ban on the sale of these products, he said, "would not significantly" impact on the Congolese people.

Kaseem said lack of follow-up on the recommendations made by his panel would send a message to traffickers that they could continue their activities "with impunity". A monitoring body, he added, would reduce the incentive to continue the war.

However, the representative of the United States said the moratorium would be unenforceable. Rather, he said, it would be more effective to control exports of natural resources by means of existing internal mechanisms. A review of concession agreements, he added, was also better undertaken by organisations already equipped with the needed expertise.

Representatives of some 20 countries took part in the daylong debate, among them those whose countries are accused of exploiting the DRC's wealth. The Tanzanian deputy foreign minister rejected allegations that his country's central bank was a clearing house for exports and transit goods. He said such unsubstantiated accusations undermined Tanzania's efforts to bring about peace in the Great Lakes region.

Uganda's foreign minister said the addendum to the panel's report reflected a more balanced approach than previous documents. However, he added, allegations that Ugandan senior military officers continued to mine gold and diamonds in the DRC could not be substantiated, especially since the withdrawal of Uganda's forces from Kisangani and Kilomoto.

Speaking for Kinshasa's allies, Zimbabwe's foreign minister told the Council that his country, Angola and Namibia were not looting the DRC's resources. On the contrary, he said, they had entered the DRC at the invitation of the government to help protect it from invading forces.

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