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SA to Approach UN About Monuc's Powers

South African Press Association (Johannesburg)
NEWS
November 1, 2002
Posted to the web November 2, 2002
Pretoria
The United Nations Security Council would be approached urgently to ensure that
the UN observer mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (Monuc) was able to
fully participate in the process of securing the safety of Rwanda and the DRC,
President Thabo Mbeki said on Friday.
Monuc's mandate was to deal with negative forces in the Congo so people could
disarm and structures be dismantled, with the necessary amnesties, he told
reporters in Pretoria after meeting Presidents Paul Kagame of Rwanda and Joseph
Kabila of the DRC.
"We will discuss this with the Security Council so Monuc will be able to fully
participate in the process to ensure that this particular threat to Rwanda and
the DRC is being dealt with."
This would strengthen the capacity of the third party verification mechanism -
- comprising South Africa and Monuc -- to carry out its responsibilities, he
said.
The meeting between the three presidents and UN special envoy Moustapha Niasse
was aimed at gauging progress made in the 90-day implementation period of a
peace deal signed by Kabila and Kagame in July.
The agreement provided for the withdrawal of Rwandan troops who have been
backing DRC rebels since August 1998. It also required the disarmament,
demobilisation and voluntary repatriation of former Rwandan forces (ex-FAR)
armed soldiers and Hutu rebels from the Interahamwe militia who fled to the DRC
after the 1994 massacre in Rwanda.
Both groups are blamed for the 1994 genocide in Rwanda in which up to a million
Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed.
Earlier on Friday the UN High Commissioner for Refugees protested against the
repatriation of eight members of the Rwandan Democratic Liberation Front
(FDLR), which spokesman Ron Redmond said constituted a grave violation of basic
principles in the refugee convention.
Both Rwanda and the DRC claimed this was done by South Africa, Agence France
Presse reported.
Monuc earlier denied any involvement in the repatriation, and said the expelled
members were neither ex-combatants nor sought by the International Criminal
Tribunal for Rwanda.
South African foreign affairs spokesman Ronnie Mamoepa, however, said the
decision was taken jointly by Monuc and South Africa, and was a correct one.
Rwanda has accused the FDLR of taking part in the 1994 genocide as well.
Mbeki said on Friday that steps were continuing to deal with the ex-FAR and
Interahamwe militia.
Asked about the success of rounding up genocide suspects, Kagame said: "Some
progress has been made with respect to the apprehension of one or a couple of
people responsible in terms of leadership."
Mbeki said "some people" had gone back to Rwanda.
According to the third party verification mechanism, 2000 people were willing
and ready to be repatriated, he said.
The process of verification of the Rwandan troop withdrawal was ongoing, the
president added.
Mbeki announced that it was agreed on Friday that the 90-day implementation
period for the peace agreement would be extended with another 90 days.
"This doesn't mean that we want to drag it out... We want to allow sufficient
space to allow that what needs to be done is done.
"We have actually agreed to speed up the process."
The presidents would meet every 30 days to review progress with the
implementation and to deal with whatever obstacles might come up.
They were very happy with the progress made so far, Mbeki said.
Kagame said Rwanda was happy with the progress made on different aspects.
"There is room to be happier," he added.

   

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