Brussels, 11/12/2012 (Agence Europe) - The withdrawal of the M23 rebels from the town of Goma (regional capital of the North Kivu region), as called for by the leaders of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), is only a first step in re-establishing stability and tackling the intolerable suffering inflicted upon the people in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the EU Council stressed on Monday. In unanimous conclusions adopted without debate, it reiterated the EU's grave concerns about the situation in the eastern DRC.
The EU points out that “external support to the M23 is unacceptable” and calls on those concerned to cease any such support. “The sovereignty and territorial integrity of the DRC must be respected”, the Council states, and the government under Joseph Kabila is invited to “promote effective efforts to establish security and the rule of law in the east” of the country.
Welcoming the opening of a dialogue between the various parties to the conflict, the EU embraces the high level contacts between Presidents Kabila of DRC, Kagame of Rwanda and Museveni of Uganda and the engagement of the ICGLR and the African Union (AU) to prevent a further deterioration of the crisis and to start work on a sustainable solution.
The EU invites all states and organisations in the region to intensify their dialogue, to work constructively to implement agreements, and to address impunity. It calls for those responsible for all human rights violations to be held accountable for their acts.
Pleased with the Security Council Resolutions 2076 and 2078, especially the renewal of the arms embargo and sanctions against armed groups and leaders of the M23, the EU awaits the Security Council conclusions on the reports of external support to the M23, and the proposals from the United Nations secretary general on how MONUSCO can best accomplish its mandate. The EU welcomes the appointment of Boubacar Gaoussou Diarra to the post of African Union special representative for the Great Lakes region, and encourages Ban Ki-moon, the United Nations secretary general, to appoint a special envoy. (AN/transl.jl)