Council conclusions on the situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo 3209th FOREIGN AFFAIRS Council meeting Brussels, 10 December 2012

 

Council conclusions on the situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo 3209th FOREIGN AFFAIRS Council meeting Brussels, 10 December 2012

 

BRUSSELS, Kingdom of Belgium, December 11, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The Council adopted the following conclusions:

“1. The EU reiterates its Council conclusions of 19 November 2012, and remains gravely concerned about the situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The withdrawal of the M23 from Goma, as called for by the Leaders of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), is just a first step in re-establishing stability and tackling the intolerable suffering inflicted upon the people in the eastern DRC. The EU condemns all human rights violations and calls for those responsible to be held accountable. The EU reiterates that external support to the M23 is unacceptable and calls on those concerned to cease any such support. It underlines that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the DRC must be respected. It calls upon the Government of the DRC to promote effective efforts to establish security and the rule of law in the east.

2. The opening of a dialogue between the various parties to the conflict is an important step forward. Furthermore, the EU welcomes 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. It calls upon all states and organisations in the region to intensify their dialogue, to work constructively to implement agreements and to address impunity.

3. The EU welcomes UN Security Council (UNSC) Resolutions 2076 and 2078, including the renewal of the arms embargo and of the sanctions against armed groups and the leadership of

M23. It awaits the Security Council’s conclusions on the reports of external support to the M23 and proposals from the UN Secretary-General on how MONUSCO can best implement its mandate. Close cooperation and complementarity between the AU, ICGLR, SADC (Southern African Development Community), UN and EU is essential. In this context, the EU welcomes the appointment of Boubacar Gaoussou Diarra as Special Representative of the AU for the Great Lakes Region and encourages the UN Secretary-General to appoint a Special Envoy. The EU stands ready to contribute actively to initiatives to find a sustainable solution to the crisis and in this context reiterates its willingness to support the ICGLR Extended Joint Verification Mechanism.

4. It is vital that all those in the region as well as the international community contribute to a lasting solution to the cyclical crises in the eastern DRC addressing the underlying causes of the conflict.”

 

SOURCE 

European Council