Security Council urges all rebel groups in Democratic Republic of the Congo to disband, disarm
| Publisher | UN News Service |
| Publication Date | 14 November 2013 |
| Cite as | UN News Service, Security Council urges all rebel groups in Democratic Republic of the Congo to disband, disarm, 14 November 2013, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5285ea754.html [accessed 31 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
The United Nations Security Council today called for the immediate and permanent disarmament and demobilisation of the M23, welcoming the earlier announcement that the rebel group was ending its bloody insurgency against the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Peace talks under way in Uganda towards agreement on a signed document failed to materialize between the two sides on Monday, leading senior UN officials - including the Secretary-General's Special Envoy to the Great Lakes Region, Mary Robinson - to call on the sides to wrap up the negotiations with a firm political settlement.
Earlier today, Liu Jieyi of China, which this month holds the Council presidency, said in a statement on behalf of the 15-member body that the Council "calls for the swift conclusion and implementation of a final, comprehensive and agreed outcome, in line with the Kampala talks, that provides for the disarmament and demobilization of the M23 and accountability for human rights abusers."
The talks are being held in Kampala under the auspices of the Chairperson of the International Conference for the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, the Mediator, as well as Ugandan Defence Minister and Facilitator, Crispus Kiyonga.
In the Presidential Statement, the Security Council expressed deep concern regarding the sustained regional threat posed by the Forces Démocratiques de Libération du Rwanda (FDLR) and stressed the importance of neutralizing it and all armed groups.
The Council "strongly condemns" the continuing violence and abuses of human rights by all armed groups "including summary executions, sexual and gender based violence and large scale recruitment and use of children," according to the statement.
The M23 - composed of soldiers who mutinied from the DRC national army in April - along with other armed groups, has clashed repeatedly with the FARDC. In the past year, the fighting has displaced more than 100,000 people, exacerbating an ongoing humanitarian crisis in the region which includes 2.6 million internally displaced persons and 6.4 million in need of food and emergency aid.
In today's statement, the Council also noted that theM23's 19 month rebellion had led to killings of UN peacekeepers in the DRC in the Mission known as MONUSCO led by Martin Kobler, the Secretary-General's Special Representative in the DRC, and expressed continued support for the blue helmets there.
The Council also encouraged the UN and its partners to strive towards implementation of the Framework signed earlier this year by the DRC along with 10 other countries and four regional and international institutions under UN auspices, outlining a comprehensive approach to sustainable peace in the region.
