MESSAGE FROM THE GOVERNMENT OF THE DRC TO THE SUMMIT ON PEACE, SECURITY AND DEVELOPMENT ( Séoul, South Korea, February 21-25, 2013)

Imprimer  

Excellencies and Honourable heads of Delegations,

Distinguished First Ladies,

Mr President of the Universal Peace Federation,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Distinguished Guests,

I would like to, on behalf of the delegation of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Congo-Kinshasa) and on my own behalf thank the Universal Peace Federation (UPF) for inviting us to participate in this World Summit 2013, a great opportunity to share useful experiences on ways and means to improve harmony and feel the world in which we live.

One of the eminent personalities who took the floor yesterday evoked the wounds of Africa. The DRC which is strangled since 15 years by a cycle of recurring wars is one of the major injuries suffered by our continent. The rebellions, wars of external aggression and drones mutinies have not stopped there, bringing the security and humanitarian situation to a humanly unacceptable level.

To put an end to this conflict which has killed more than five million people in ten years, an Internal Dialogue held in Sun City (South Africa) in 2002 brought forth a wide national unity Government, including the main warlords. This scheme which has allowed to reunite the country and silenced weapons for a time, unfortunately, also gave a premium to violence and laminate illegitimate foreign influence on the country through warlords sponsored from outside. An untenable situation.

The question of the Rwandan FDLR rebellion that has occupied since the genocide in 1994 some bush in North Kivu (DRC) poisons relations between the DRC and Rwanda. Our Government, accused by Kigali of supporting these Rwandan negative forces, yet had organized in 2009 to track them down by regular joint Congolese and Rwandan troops on its territory, to the annoyance of some Congolese. This operation has allowed to reduce the capacity of FDLR whose number reduced from 12,000 fighters 5 years ago to less than 1 500 according to the United Nations, which paradoxically reported the presence of former FDLR returnees in Rwanda alongside a new anti Congolese rebellion, the M23, fomented from that country in April 2012 with a lot of killings, rape, looting and destruction. It is clear the good will shown by the DRC did not

found echo across the border.

The M23 as other rebellions before it is grafted on mining areas, illustrating the trivial motivations of Congolese war that appears basically as a predation move that attempts have been made to hide behind political and identity claims for the most part already met by the new constitution in force since 2006. The looting of the DRC's natural resources which is the root cause of the war is an undeniable reality. It also involves various groups of non-African interests. Investigations by the United Nations in this regard are edifying.

This observation led us to become caution with the economic dimension of the Congolese tragedy since 1998. However, we have never ceased to promote adult relationships through mutually beneficial trade and regional cooperation.

The Government of the DRC intends to assume its responsibilities and restore peace and security within its borders. It appreciated endeavours from those countries which have imposed economic sanctions on Rwanda to call it break with the negative forces. We welcome in this regard the signature today in Addis Ababa of a framework Agreement for Peace in the Great Lakes at the initiative of the United Nations Secretary General, Mr. Ban Ki Moon. Eleven African States are committed to respecting territorial integrity of each others and create conditions for a lasting peace in the region.

The Government of the DRC is for its part confirms the continuation of the process of decentralization which is a constitutional principle in the country and announced an agenda for national reconciliation to remove any pretext for warmongers and troublemakers.

For their part, countries of the Great Lakes, SADC and Central Africa undertake to refrain from any interference in the internal affairs of other States and any support for the negative forces.

It is a comprehensive approach that insists on the strengthening of regional ties, including judicial cooperation against cross-border crime as well as regional economic integration.

The mandate of MONUSCO whose weakness was revealed with the occupation by a foreign army of the town of Goma (North Kivu) in November will be reinvigorated to protect civilians and enforce peace.

It is pleasant that the international community has finally taken into account the impact of external actors in the chaos besetting our country. Considering endogenous causes of the crisis which focus on the incommunicability between some of the four hundreds ethnic communities who share the DRC, the Government instituted a cabinet

Ministry of New Citizenship in order to emphasize cEducation to Peace Eco – citizenship, and Republican and Moral Values thus underpinning Global Spirituality without which there is neither prosperous nation nor livable world. It is also why we apply a policy of zero tolerance for discriminatory behaviour and attitudes within State organs. As when the boss of the unique public television in DRC (RTNC) was sacked for having aired on antenna hate messages against ethnic communities of Kivu. If those in Africa and elsewhere, who have a responsibility in the drama that is assailing the DRC could act in the same way, peace, security and development would be realities in our Great Lakes region.

The DRC don’t want more blood of its children and that of others to be spread again. After 15 years of atrocious suffering, we believe, as recalled wisely yesterday by H.E. the Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao of Timor-Leste, that the war never bring peace. On the behalf of the DRC, we call upon the FPU and all its networks to do what they can in order to handhold those who have in mind that they are entitled to kill Congolese for the sake of striping the Congo resources and grow rich free of charge.-

Lambert MENDE OMALANGA

(Minister for the Media, Parliamentarian and New Citizenship Affairs, Chief Spokesman of the Government).