Security Council meeting 4092-Resu.1

The President

The first speaker on my list is the Minister for Foreign Affairs of South Africa, Her Excellency Ms. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma. I invite her to take a seat at the Council table and to make her statement.

I welcome the Minister as the representative of the great nation of South Africa and thank her for participating in today's important meeting. I know that Secretary of State Albright deeply regrets that we were unable to hear Ms. Dlamini-Zuma's statement before lunch.

Ms. Dlamini-Zuma (South Africa)

It is an honour for me to address this important meeting of the Security Council on the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. I would like to thank the presidency of the United States for devoting this month to African issues. I am particularly glad to be here, representing President Mbeki, in the presence of many heads of State from our region.

The conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is a most complex problem, involving six States and various rebel movements in our region. It is indeed a tribute to the leaders of our region, under the leadership of President Chiluba, that the Lusaka Agreement was reached, providing the best opportunity for a lasting peace in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

We still believe that there is no option for resolving of the conflict other than working within the framework which the parties, the United Nations, the Organization of African Unity (OAU) and the leaders of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) decided upon when they signed the Lusaka Agreement.

The Lusaka Ceasefire Agreement must be successfully implemented by all concerned. It is a tribute to the signatories that, although the Ceasefire Agreement has not been fully implemented in terms of all the provisions, and there have been some breaches of it, total war has not continued in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This demonstrates the commitment to the ceasefire and to peace in the region of the Great Lakes.

South Africa would like to reaffirm its neutral role in the search for lasting peace in the Congo and in the Great Lakes area. We believe that it is important for our country to communicate equally with all parties involved in the Congo conflict. Furthermore, my Government is committed to assisting the Joint Military Commission (JMC) by providing whatever support is needed, including logistical support.

We strongly urge an immediate and complete deployment of the JMC to enable it to undertake the tasks prescribed by the Agreement as soon as possible. We would like to take this opportunity to request the international community to give its full support to the JMC in the implementation of its tasks in accordance with the Ceasefire Agreement. We appreciate the assistance given by many countries so far, but more needs to be done.

Further, my delegation would like to reiterate the call, made by the SADC heads of State and Government in Maputo, that the Security Council should without delay authorize the deployment of a United Nations peacekeeping operation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the context of the implementation of the Lusaka Ceasefire Agreement. South Africa believes that the deployment of a United Nations peacekeeping force is critical to a successful implementation of the Agreement and needs the support of the international community. In this connection, States members of the Security Council need not be reminded of the provisions contained in Article 24 of the United Nations Charter, which states that the United Nations Member States confer on the Security Council primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. A delay by the Security Council in carrying out its fundamental duty may lead to the worsening of the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

South Africa finds unacceptable the delay in the involvement of the United Nations in bringing about security, lasting peace and stability in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Let us recall that, on 10 July 1999, all parties to the conflict demonstrated their desire for peace by signing the Agreement. Therefore, the Security Council must, on its part, fulfil its historic mandate, as set out in the United Nations Charter, by assisting the parties to the Agreement to enforce the ceasefire.

We do hope that the United Nations will be able to play the role envisaged in chapter 8 of the Agreement, which includes all peacekeeping and peace enforcement. In this regard, we welcome the recommendations contained in the report of the Secretary-General on the Democratic Republic of the Congo, but we must state that we see the deployment recommended in that report as only the beginning.

We believe it is important to implement the ceasefire as it is envisaged in the Agreement, including disarming and resettling the armed groups that further compromise the security of the countries in the region. It is for this reason that we believe that, as a minimum requirement, the Security Council should conclude this week devoted to the Democratic Republic of the Congo by adopting a resolution in support of the peace process in that country, as detailed in the Lusaka Agreement.

My Government also welcomes the appointment by the Congolese parties of the former President of Botswana, Sir Ketumile Masire, as the Facilitator for the internal political national dialogue between the political forces in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in accordance with chapter 5 of the Agreement.

In this regard, we call on all the Congolese political and other interest groups to give their full support to Sir Ketumile Masire in his endeavour to assist in the creation of a more democratic political system in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In the long run, it is only the Congolese themselves who can determine their future, while the international community can assist in creating a conducive atmosphere to underpin the Congolese commitment. We also join the heads of State in appealing to the international community to support the Congolese dialogue both financially and politically.

In this regard, we wish to reaffirm the importance of the collective involvement of the United Nations, the OAU, SADC and the international community in the search for a lasting solution in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and in the Great Lakes region. We strongly believe that the Lusaka Ceasefire Agreement, a product of the African countries, will make a meaningful contribution towards resolving the conflict and place the Great Lakes region on the road to recovery.

We would like to appeal to the international community for urgent humanitarian support to alleviate the suffering of hundreds of thousands of Congolese. The Democratic Republic of the Congo will also need extensive resources for its process of reconstruction and development. Planning in this regard should commence as soon as possible.

The people of the Congo have suffered for over a century. This process provides them with a glimmer of hope towards a democratic, peaceful and prosperous Congo. Should this process fail, we shall all stand indicted. We owe it to the people of the Congo and we dare not fail them.

The President

I thank the Minister of Foreign Affairs of South Africa for coming here and representing President Mbeki. I thank her for her kind words addressed to the American presidency and I thank her for her country's contribution to peace.

I have been asked to read out a message addressed to me from the President of Nigeria:

"On behalf of the Government and the people of Nigeria, I congratulate you on your assumption of the presidency of the Security Council during the first month of the new millennium and for the high profile and attention which you have given to African issues in our Organization. To this end, I am delighted to send this message of goodwill to members of the Council and participants in this historic open meeting on the Democratic Republic of the Congo, including my brother heads of State who have travelled all the way from our continent, for a very successful deliberation. Their presence demonstrates the commitment which the Organization of African Unity and all African leaders have towards the peaceful resolution of the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

"It is gratifying that the United Nations Security Council, under the presidency of the United States, at the very beginning of the new millennium is devoting a substantial portion of its work and time to the issues of peace and security in Africa. It is appropriate and fitting that the United Nations is taking an early lead in the new millennium in focusing on issues of peace and security on the African continent.

"The impressive turnout of a large number of African leaders in the Council today to participate in the efforts at resolving the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is a solid show of the commitment of African leaders to truly turn 2000 into a year of peace, security and solidarity. Certainly, their presence should convince the international community that we are committed to ending conflicts afflicting some States on our continent.

"The early resolution of the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo will certainly have a positive effect on the security of the entire subregion and give substance to the decision of African leaders at their 1999 Algiers summit to make 2000 truly the year of peace, security and solidarity. It is important, therefore, that all efforts be made at this meeting to reaffirm the collective commitment of all parties to the Lusaka Agreement. The United Nations should also give concrete support to complement the regional and continental arrangement aimed at peacemaking and peacekeeping in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

"With best wishes for a successful deliberation,

"Olusegun Obasanjo, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria."

I would like to invite the Vice Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Belgium, Mr. Louis Michel, to take a seat at the Council table and to make his statement. We thank him for making the trip to join us today.

Mr. Michel (Belgium)

I am very happy to see you, Sir, presiding over this meeting, and I would like to thank you for your efforts to lend new momentum to the peace process in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and to make the international community more aware of the gravity of this crisis. I encourage your initiative and assure you of my country's support.

Belgium's position lies within the framework of the efforts made by the European Union, and I associate myself fully with the statement to be made by the Portuguese presidency of the Union. My Government believes that European involvement in the peace process and in the stabilization of the region is an essential factor in ensuring the success of our efforts.

During the fifty-fourth session of the General Assembly, on 25 September 1999, I announced that Belgium wished to devote special attention to central Africa and to solving the crisis in the Congo. We wish to contribute to pulling the region out of the quagmire of war and insecurity, and thereby out of underdevelopment. My presence here today is further confirmation of that commitment.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a country the size of a continent, and its stability influences that of the entire African continent and impacts directly on the stability of its nine neighbours. The return to peace and regional stability requires the re-establishment of respect for the fundamental principles that were clearly reaffirmed by the signatories to the Lusaka peace Agreement. First and foremost among those is the territorial unity and integrity of Congo and the inviolability of its borders. For Belgium, this is the first prerequisite for the country's recovery.

At the same time, Congo's neighbours have the right to live in peace within secure borders, without destabilizing action being undertaken from Congolese territory.

The other essential factor to the stabilization of Congo is of a domestic character, namely, national reconciliation. The Lusaka Agreement explicitly sets out the commitment of the Congolese signatories to undertake an internal dialogue leading to national reconciliation within the framework of freely accepted institutions, including a national army truly at the service of the Congolese people.

We have not gathered here today at such a high level of political representation to negotiate a new treaty; rather, we are gathered to create an unstoppable momentum that will lead to full implementation of the Lusaka Agreement. Although it entered into force almost six months ago, today we are seeing a slow pace of implementation and the risk that the peace process may become more fragile. We cannot remain passive.

All parties involved -- signatories to the Agreement and the international community, both collectively and individually -- must shoulder their responsibilities. The gravity of the situation and its catastrophic humanitarian consequences require more than ever that everything be done to relaunch the peace process by setting into motion the mechanisms already envisaged in the Agreement. Indeed, this is the only instrument that exists to end the conflict.

Now, what do we think are the conditions for resuming the peace process and ensuring its success?

First, of course, is the political will of the signatories. The primary responsibility for implementing the Lusaka Agreement lies with those who signed it. It is up to them to respect their own signatures and to carry out what they agreed to: respect for the ceasefire, the withdrawal of troops and a halt to rearmament. A clear demonstration of political will by the parties to implement the peace Agreement in good faith and without creating impediments is absolutely essential to enable the international community to uphold and encourage their actions.

This naturally brings me to my second point, namely, the support of the international community. That support is absolutely necessary to make the Agreement's mechanisms work. Immediate financial and logistical assistance for the Joint Military Commission (JMC) so that it may function on a permanent basis is indispensable to its executing its mission. In this respect, the financial contributions pledged should be paid into the trust fund without delay. So far, Belgium has contributed BF10 million and has actively encouraged the European Union to pledge 1.2 million euros without delay.

Better coordination between the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC), the JMC and the Organization of African Unity (OAU) is also needed. Here I welcome the initiatives taken by the Secretary-General, particularly his appointment of an especially experienced Special Representative, Ambassador Morjane, who should be able to count on the political and logistical support of the international community, as well as the full cooperation of the parties.

The third prerequisite is a peacekeeping operation to help the signatories put the Agreement into practice and allow it to achieve one of its principal objectives, namely, the withdrawal of all foreign troops from Congo. In order to succeed, such a mission will have to be adequately equipped with a clear mandate and the necessary logistical and financial resources. I urge the Security Council to seize the opportunity offered by the Lusaka Agreement and shoulder its responsibilities in this respect. Belgium will contribute financially and logistically in its national capacity and in conjunction with its partners in the European Union.

I would also urge the Security Council to provide sufficient protection and means of transportation and communications so that the observers to be deployed under phase II can carry out their mission objectively and under full security.

The issue of the disarmament and reintegration of combatants of irregular armed groups is clearly of the utmost importance, and it is also extremely difficult. This will require political mechanisms and economic incentives, rather than military solutions.

A fourth prerequisite is the inter-Congolese dialogue. Its implementation is essential and urgent. President Masire has now been appointed as facilitator and will bring his prestige as a great statesman, as well as his long political experience, to this indispensable dialogue. Belgium welcomes his appointment and will support him fully. I call on all Congolese parties to build a political system involving all dynamic elements of the nation. The international community should not remain on the sidelines while the Congolese attempt to achieve this objective.

In conclusion, I would like to emphasize the concept of African ownership, which may recently have been a reason for withdrawing from Africa and which has now -- through the Lusaka Agreement -- demonstrated its relevancy. The Agreement is an African response to an African crisis. Insofar as the signatory countries truly commit themselves, the international community is ready to contribute to its implementation. African ownership can be neither rejection nor withdrawal. The concept must involve collaboration and partnership.

Our efforts should be seen in the framework of partnership with countries in central Africa. That partnership involves, first of all, the countries of the region itself. It is only through regional stabilization and cooperation beyond one's own borders that peace, ensured by the implementation of the Lusaka Agreement, will be truly consolidated. On that basis, we are ready to rally our partners -- both within the European Union and beyond -- to a North-South partnership pact focusing on reconstruction, democracy and development. That pact would fall within the scope of a conference on stability and cooperation in the Great Lakes region, which could be organized once peace returns to the region.

Finally, I would hope that we would consider the lessons of the Carlsson report. Not only should we help Rwanda heal the wounds of the past, but we must also ensure that the errors committed in Rwanda are not repeated.

We want to break from the logic of war, a war which cannot be won by anyone. We must show those who think they can improve their lot only by taking up arms that there exists a peaceful alternative based on economic cooperation and development. My country possesses the will and the means to participate in this endeavour.

The President

I thank the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Belgium for his participation today. I would just note in passing that with the exception of the presidency, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Belgium is the thirteenth speaker and the first to speak from the European continent. I hope that is indicative of his last point, that this is the rest of world in support of an African solution, to use Secretary-General Salim Salim's phrase, an African solution to an African problem.

We now return to the continent of Africa. It is my honour to call on the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Burundi, who was with us last week and is still available under the previous rule. We welcome him back for another meeting of the Security Council.

Mr. Ntahomvukiye (Burundi)

Allow me at the outset to commend the Security Council and the presidency of the United States for having included on the Council's agenda security issues of the countries of the Great Lakes subregion. The problem of security in this part of Africa is at the centre of Burundi's concerns, given the tension and the internal, cross-border and interrelated wars that develop there to the point of imperiling entire nations now for many years.

The Government of Burundi welcomes the opportunity offered to express its great hope that the implementation of the Lusaka Agreement will create a favourable climate for the process of peace and reconciliation undertaken in my country over the past three years. One of the causes of the resurgence of violence in recent months is rooted in the coalition of armed rebel groups that come and go in the subregion where militias and other armies have taken to the bush and continue their guerrilla activities.

I will not revert to the explanations already given here at the United Nations and elsewhere on Burundi's position in the war that is ravaging the Democratic Republic of the Congo. However, I would like to recall that Burundi stands ready to make its contribution and to play its full role in implementing the Lusaka Agreement, which explicitly acknowledges its security concerns along its border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo due to the activity of part of the Burundi rebellion in that country.

More than in the various meetings in Kampala, Lusaka and Harare, Burundi requests to be particularly associated with the settlement of the following items identified in the Agreement: first, disarmament of armed groups, including the Forces for the Defence of Democracy of Burundi, as stipulated in chapter 8, article 8.2.2 and chapter 9 of the Agreement; secondly, the voluntary repatriation of Burundian and Congolese refugees, as stipulated in chapter 8, article 8.2.2; thirdly, reintegration into society of members of armed groups, as stipulated in chapter 8, article 8.2.2 of the Agreement; and fourthly, normalization of the situation along the common border between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Burundi, as stipulated in chapter 12 of the Agreement.

In keeping with our traditional policy of good-neighbourliness, Burundi entirely endorses the measures recommended in chapter 12 of the Agreement. In this connection, it reaffirms its desire to cooperate with all signatories to the Agreement and other involved parties. Peace and stability in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are indispensable to lasting peace in the subregion and in Burundi in particular.

The President

I thank the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Burundi for his contribution to this week's and to last week's debate.

The next speaker is Ambassador Abdellatif Rahal of Algeria, personal representative of the current Chairman of the Organization of African Unity.

Mr. Rahal (Algeria)

I am addressing the Security Council on behalf of Mr. Abdelaziz Bouteflika, President of the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria and the current Chairman of the Organization of African Unity (OAU).

I avail myself of this opportunity to welcome your initiative, Mr. President, under the presidency of your country, to focus the Security Council debates for the month of January on issues that are matters of great concern to the African continent. Moreover, the year 2000 was declared by the OAU summit at Algiers a year of peace, security and stability in Africa.

Your recent trip, Mr. President, to several countries in Africa, has enabled you to accurately assess the gravity of the situation. You were able to gather the opinions of the various parties in situ on ways and means of contributing to an effective implementation of the Lusaka peace Agreement.

At this meeting, I welcome the heads of State and high-ranking African political authorities who have been good enough to travel to demonstrate their interest in a satisfactory settlement of the crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Our countries, and the OAU, understood full well the seriousness and complexity of this crisis. The countries of the region, which are naturally more sensitive than others to the threats it poses, have done a great deal to try to create the conditions for a peaceful settlement of this fratricidal crisis. Since the beginning of the crisis, Algeria has called for restraint and wisdom.

Encouraging results have come about with the signing of the Lusaka peace Agreement, which through dialogue and cooperation has created the heartening prospect of a final settlement of the conflict. All States members of the OAU, and the international community at large, have welcomed that significant progress towards the restoration of peace and harmony in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which enjoys unanimous moral support.

The thirty-fifth OAU summit, which was held at Algiers in July 1999, welcomed that progress and called upon the parties to the conflict to work harder to implement the Lusaka Agreement fully and genuinely. In our view, the Agreement constitutes an important achievement and remains the proper framework for settling the conflict and restoring peace and stability throughout the Great Lakes region.

As current Chairman of the OAU, Algeria has worked since the Algiers summit to implement the decisions adopted by African heads of State or Government. President Abdelaziz Bouteflika has appointed a special envoy to follow the peace process in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and throughout the region. The efforts of the current Chairman of the OAU have three focuses. First, he is striving to encourage the initiatives of the countries of the subregion, and to urge the parties concerned to respect commitments undertaken in the framework of the Lusaka Agreement and to engage in frank and honest cooperation in its implementation. He has also worked with the countries of the region to overcome difficulties with respect to representation for rebel movements in the mechanisms envisioned in the peace Agreement.

Secondly, in coordination with the Secretary-General of the OAU, President Bouteflika has turned to all the countries of Africa with the purpose of strengthening their unanimous support for this endeavour and of creating support for implementation efforts. This made it possible to convene the OAU Central Organ of its Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution, which agreed to OAU financial support for the Joint Military Commission and to the deployment in the field of African monitors.

Thirdly, the Chairman of the OAU has endeavoured to make the international community more aware of this African peace effort. He has called upon all members of the international community to make a meaningful contribution to implementation of the Lusaka Agreement. Unfortunately, that appeal has met with meagre response, and we hope that this meeting of the Security Council, by highlighting the threat posed to all by the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, will give rise to a more tangible commitment to an endeavour which lacks the means for its achievement.

Moreover, also in coordination with the Secretary-General of the OAU, President Bouteflika has been ceaselessly working with the Secretary-General of the United Nations with a view to creating the conditions for prompt and effective United Nations involvement in the implementation of the Lusaka Agreement. Thus far it has not been possible to obtain United Nations involvement commensurate with African expectations or with the challenge posed by the crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. But this is an urgent situation that genuinely threatens to spill over. Delay or hesitation in deploying a United Nations peacekeeping operation is of concern to the peoples of Africa, which need support from the international community to make the Lusaka peace process a success.

The presence at today's meeting of the signatories of the Lusaka Agreement is a sign of their readiness, of which we must take due note. Their presence attests to their desire to promote dialogue as the means towards a peaceful settlement of the conflict.

While it is true that progress to date has not met our expectations, the Lusaka Agreement still constitutes a valuable achievement that should be protected from any sudden challenges. It is the irreplaceable framework within which we must strive to solve the problems before us. The Agreement is intended to make yesterday's adversaries into partners determined to implement a peaceful solution, as shown by their cooperation with the Joint Military Commission, which was established following the signing of the Lusaka Agreement. All are aware of the important progress made by this Commission, which, however, continues to face enormous material and financial difficulties. We hope that the Commission, which has proven its effectiveness on the ground, will be encouraged to continue its work.

Some countries responded positively to the appeal of the current Chairman of the (OAU) and have given equipment or financial support to the Joint Military Commission. The Chairman of the OAU thanks them and urgently appeals to other countries who have not as yet not done so to also demonstrate their support for the Commission.

We deeply deplore the recent confrontations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which have once again claimed civilian victims. These regrettable events fly in the face of the legitimate hopes of the Congolese people and of other people of the region who hope to regain peace in trust, harmony and as good neighbours.

President Abdelaziz Bouteflika has exhorted the parties in conflict to abstain from resorting to arms and to work resolutely with the Joint Military Commission to create conditions for implementing the Lusaka Agreement. The Agreement is a structure built on a balance of interests and on a fair sharing of sacrifices. If it does not satisfy all, neither does it privilege any of the parties. All new recourse to arms will irreparably destroy the efforts for peace undertaken up to now.

The current Chairman of the OAU welcomes the designation of Sir Ketumile Masire, former President of Botswana, as facilitator for the inter-Congolese dialogue. His great qualities as a statesman, his extensive experience and his personal engagement will help the Congolese parties come together and find the elements of national reconciliation.

This is not the first time that the Security Council is considering the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Since the first warning signs of the crisis, the Council understood the magnitude of the danger threatening all countries of the region. In several successive and repetitive resolutions, the Council called upon the parties to the conflict to settle their disputes by peaceful means and committed itself to provide them with military aid, equipment and financial support. Despite delays and hesitations in their progress, the African parties nonetheless responded to the appeal of the Security Council and, not without tremendous difficulties, arrived at the Lusaka Agreement.

Implementing this Agreement, as we said previously, requires ways and means that go beyond their own capabilities. For its part, the Security Council has only partially met its commitments by sending 79 liaison officers to the field. At other times and in other places, the Council has become involved far more energetically in the settlement of crises that threatened peace in other regions of the world. On those occasions, it made available considerable resources, even going to the extent of military action not without inevitable risks.

The African continent wishes to benefit from similar concern on the part of the international community. You wished to impart to this meeting of the Council an exceptional and solemn nature; it would be difficult to understand if the meeting did not lead to very firm commitments and if the actions and calendar for implementing them were not clearly defined. This is what we Africans expect of the United Nations, that is to say of the States of which it is made up, and particularly of those which have the equipment and the financial and military power.

The President

I would like to mention now that I will forego our space in the speakers order and not deliver a national statement today in the interests of time and to allow more people to speak. I would also like to note the return to the Chamber of President Mugabe of Zimbabwe -- we welcome you back -- and the Secretary-General of the Organization of African Unity, His Excellency Salim Salim. We are delighted that you were able to return.

I now call on the Minister of the Armed Forces of Mali, Mohamed Salia Sokona.

Mr. Sokona (Mali)

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