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Uganda, DRC to Disarm

New Vision (Kampala)
NEWS
August 4, 2004
Posted to the web August 4, 2004

By John Odyek and Milton Olupot
Kampala
DEFENCE minister Amama Mbabazi has said Uganda, Rwanda and the DR Congo have
agreed to disarm all groups in the Great Lakes region using outside forces.
Mbabazi told Parliament on Thursday that the agreement was reached during a
trilateral meeting in Washington DC, organised by the US government last week.
He said the mandate of MONUC (a UN peace keeping mission in DR Congo) was peace
enforcement.
Mbabazi said the US agreed to promote trilateral relations among the three
countries.
He said the countries agreed to enhance peace and reaffirmed their commitment
to the joint proliferation mechanism on peace agreed on in Abuja, Nigeria and
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia during the African Union meeting.
"The People's Redemption Army and the Allied Democratic Forces in Congo will be
disarmed," he said.
Mbabazi said they had resolved to request for the extension of the mandate of
MONUC from the mandate of Chapter Six which was peace-keeping to Chapter Seven
of peace enforcement.
He said they agreed to promote peace along the borders of countries in the
region, encourage the return of refugees, support the transitional government
of the DR Congo and move forward with political and diplomatic negotiations.
Mbabazi said the relations between Uganda and Rwanda had improved.

   

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