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UN Dismisses Claims of Troops in DRC

UN Integrated Regional Information Networks
NEWS
March 31, 2003
Posted to the web March 31, 2003
Kinshasa
The UN secretary-general's representative in the Democratic Republic of Congo
(DRC), Amos Namanga Ngongi, dismissed on Friday claims that Rwandan troops had
re-entered the DRC.
Speaking to reporters at the Kinshasa headquarters of the UN Mission in the
DRC, known as MONUC, Ngongi said the Ituri District was tense, despite the
presence of Ugandan troops mandated to ensure security under an agreement
reached in September 2002 between presidents Joseph Kabila of the DRC and
Yoweri Museveni of Uganda.
The Roman Catholic bishop of Beni-Butembo, Melechisedec Sikuli, and a group of
Brussels-based NGOs had reported the alleged movement in March of large numbers
of Rwandan and Burundian troops into eastern DRC.
Ngongi said the Ugandan troops, who were in a position to do so, had not
complained of the alleged presence of Rwandan troops. He backed up his
dismissal of the claims by saying that MONUC observers had not confirmed the
presence of any Rwandan troops.
Last week, Ngongi visited the Ugandan and Rwandan capitals for discussions with
officials, and held talks with President Kabila in Kinshasa. Ngongi said he had
received assurances from the heads of state of the DRC, Rwanda and Uganda that
it was not in their interests to resume fighting in the Congo.
Ugandan troops are due to withdraw from DRC on 24 April, under the ceasefire
agreement the parties to the conflict signed on 13 March, in Bunia, the Ituri
District of Orientale Province.
Meanwhile, the Third Party Verification Mechanism set up for the July 2002
peace agreement between Rwanda and the DRC issued a statement Friday, following
a fact-finding mission to Rwanda, Uganda and eastern DRC, undertaken at the
instruction of the chairman of the African Union.
The verification body said its main task was to check the allegations and
counter-allegations made by Rwanda and Uganda over security in eastern DRC, and
to investigate reports of an imminent deployment of troops by the DRC
government in response to these threats.
The verification body's preliminary report has been submitted to UN Secretary-
General Kofi Annan and South African President Thabo Mbeki, as third party
principals to the Pretoria Peace Accord.
In its statement, the verification body said there was "a lot of aggressive
military activity posing a direct threat to the peace process" taking place in
areas of DRC including Minembwe, Lulimba, the Virunga National Park, Rutsuru,
Bunyakiri, Walikale, Beni/Butembo/Lubero, and Kanyabayonga/Bunyatenge. It
called for Uganda to adhere to the withdrawal date for its troops, and for the
DRC not to be provoked into deploying its troops in the eastern part of DRC.

   

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