Brief introduction - The Democratic Republic of Congo
Since 1994 the Democratic Republic of Congo has been rent by ethnic war and the period of conflict has been the bloodiest since WW2. As much as eight African countries have taken part in the conflict and 4 million lives have been lost.
In 1999 the United Nations Security Council agreed upon resolution 1279 and established the peace keeping force MONUC to facilitate the implementation of the Lusaka Accord that was recently signed. The main objective of the MONUC's was to support and sustain the transitional process in the DRC, culminating in free and fair elections.
Joseph Kabila is now the first democratically elected president since Congolese independence. Although elections were successfully conducted in December 2006, the peace process is not complete.
Repression and abuse by the national forces is indeed one of the main concerns, the army being the largest human rights abuser in the country. Its weakness has, additionally, let the military opposition to flourish both in the East and the West.
There are roughly 8,000 - 9,000 Rwandan and Ugandan rebels in the country. Clashes between these rebels and Congolese militiaman are still frequent as well as ethnicity-connected attacks against civilians. NGO's have argued that MONUC troops, with a stronger mandate, will be required for at least another year in order to keep the country from turning back into the 2 mio. square kilometre battlefield it recently was.
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Summon for Extraordinary Gathering of the UN Security Council, 16-20 October 2007
"Delegates of the United Nations Security Council,
Noting with concern that the mandate of the United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC), at first discussed and approved by this Council in Paragraph 8 of Resolution 1258 of 6 August, 1999, is due to expire.
In the light of the current situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, I, by the authority vested in me as Secretary General of the United Nations, hereby summon the member nations of the Security Council to an extraordinary meeting with the agenda being the possible extension of the MONUC mandate under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter.
All delegates are kindly requested to bear in mind the past and present situation in the DR Congo, and especially the importance of resolving this conflict and bringing and sustaining peace in the African Great Lakes region.
Furthermore all delegates are reminded that this conflict is not only of a military scale; immense humanitarian issues have continued to rise beyond the control of the Congolese government, including human rights abuses and deadly epidemics.
An estimated 300,000 people have fled their homes in North Kivu since the end of last year due to the fighting between Government forces, renegade troops and other armed rebel groups. This is not the time to reduce our efforts, which are crucial in re-establishing peace and setting up democratic institutions after a protracted civil war.
We urgently need a global solution, including a regional dimension that will also allow us to make better use of MONUC's input. The Congolese authorities are preparing for the local elections, which will strengthen the democratic culture across the country. They need our full support.
Both my predecessor and I have numerous times called for additional efforts taken by the International Community in the conflict; both financial, humanitarian and military aid."
Marta Rojas Gregorio
DanMUN Secretary General