Congo to flush out LRA in 90 days

By Felix Osike
in Arusha

UGANDA and the Democratic Republic of Congo on Saturday signed a landmark agreement which will see the Lord’s Resistance Army rebels flushed out of Garamba within 90 days. The agreement between President Yoweri Museveni and his Congolese counterpart Joseph Kabila was signed at Ngurdoto Mountain Lodge in Arusha, Tanzania. It was witnessed by Tanzanian president Mrisho Jakaya Kikwete after two days of negotiations.

In the final agreement, which Museveni described as “fantastic”, it was also agreed that “the process of apprehension, disarmament and demobilisation of the negative forces including the Lord’s Resistance Army rebels shall, within 90 days, be demonstrably undertaken in either countries.”

This will be done through joint military operations with the UN peace keeping mission in Congo (MONUC).
Both countries agreed to deny sanctuary to any person opposed to the disarmament.

Congo undertook to eliminate the LRA, the People’s Redemption Army (PRA), the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) and the National Liberation Army of Uganda (NALU).

Uganda undertook to deny support to Congolese groups: Forces Armees du Peuple Congolais (FAPC) of Jerome Kakwavu, Mouvement Revolutionaire Congolais (MRC) of Bwambale Kakolele and CNDP of Laurent Nkunda.

The two presidents also agreed that the Joint Verification Mechanisms shall be strengthened by opening liaison offices in Kampala, Kanungu, Kisoro, Arua, Fort Portal and in the Congolese towns of Aba, Beni, Bunia and Kinshasa.

At the Tripartite Plus One meeting due in Kampala this month, Uganda shall support a proposal by the DRC for the disarmament of the Interahamwe in North Kivu, currently affected by hostilities.
The presidents agreed to immediately remove troops from the contested Rukwanzi Island on Lake Albert. They will jointly re-mark, where necessary, the international boundary between the two countries.

Within a month, a joint team of experts from both countries and members from other countries will remark the joint border.

“The parties agreed that upon being constituted, in remarking the international boundary, the joint committee shall give priority to Rukwanzi Island and in the territory of Mahagi, particularly the areas of Uriwo, Anzida/Panzuru, Angiero, Pagira and Pamitu; and in the territory of Aru the border of Vura.”

Mahagi will also be demilitarised.
Earlier this month, Congolese troops attacked an oil barge belonging to a Canadian firm, Heritage oil, near Rukwanzi, killing one worker. Kabila said the incident was regrettable.

A week earlier, the Congolese army had captured four Ugandan soldiers at the same place, accusing them of entering their waters.

The agreement states that the DRC administration on Rukwanzi shall remain for one month during which the islanders will be sensitised about the agreement.
“Immediately after the said one month, Uganda shall appoint a co-administrator to administer the island with the DRC administrator and post police personnel equal in number to those stationed by the DRC on the island to maintain civil order.”

The signing of the Ngurdoto pact was delayed by over eight hours due to disagreement over some clauses and the translation from English to French. Foreign affairs minister Sam Kutesa and his Congolese counterpart, Mbusa Nyamwisi, trotted to and fro to consult the two presidents who were seated in a separate room before coming up with the final deal.

It was further agreed that refugees be settled at least 150km from the common border, as required by international instruments.

This followed a complaint by the DRC that some Congolese militia groups were recruiting from refugee camps inside Uganda.

The two leaders agreed that refugees be repatriated once the conditions that compelled them to flee their countries improve.

On oil, it was agreed that oil fields that straddle the common border, shall be jointly explored and exploited and costs and proceeds shared proportionately.

The two countries shall, within three months, send petroleum experts to their respective embassies to observe the exploration activities on each other’s side of the border. DRC shall start petroleum exploration in the Albertine basin as soon as possible to enable the parties identify and evaluate trans-boundary oil fields.
Within one month, the DRC shall send a team of experts to visit oil areas near the common border.

Within 90 days, the two countries will also conclude an agreement for fighting illegal activities, illicit trade and fraudulent dealers in minerals.

To achieve this, it was agreed that a regional gold trade centre and refinery be established in the DRC.

The two leaders ordered that an agreement be drafted to interconnect the power grids and extend a power line from Kasese to Beni-Butembo-Rutchuru in the DRC.

On the diplomatic front, it was agreed that both countries upgrade their missions to ambassadorial level. It was also agreed that a heads of state summit shall be held annually.

Further, an ad hoc committee of seven members from each country will be set up to study the International Court of Justice judgement against Uganda and recommend to the Joint Permanent Commission ways of implementing its orders in regard to reparations.
Museveni said the conflicts in the Great Lakes region have been caused by past unelected governments, which were not accountable to their people.

“What is happening today is tidying up the mess of the past. The origin of the Amin war, Mobutu war, and conflicts in Sudan Rwanda and Burundi were all because of one issue – governments not elected democratically and not accountable to the people.”

“With the democratisation in the DRC, Rwanda, Uganda and Burundi, I am sure we are coming to the end of these conflicts. Today’s signatures on the document are the end process of a long struggle,” he said.

He apologised to Kikwete for keeping him away from a football match between Tanzania and Mozambique.

About the borders, Museveni said: “It is embarrassing for me as a Pan Africanist to refer to maps of the Belgians and the British. As Africans, we should see how to move beyond these colonial processes and push on.”

He said the East African integration would transcend the border conflicts, adding that the discovery of oil was a new opportunity for the region. “In the small area we have done drilling, we have found huge amounts of petroleum and gas. I am glad that the Congolese have agreed with us on how to move forward. The importance for the region will be a lot of gains made from smart solutions.” He promised that the money from the oil would not be misused.

The president said the establishment of a gold refinery in the DRC would save a lot of money lost in selling unprocessed gold. An ounce of unrefined gold, he said, costs $23 while the processed one costs about $500. “This is madness. How can Africans accept this? Taking value in exchange for no value!”

Museveni said he recently rejected a plan by foreign companies to buy uranium in Uganda because it is a source of energy.
Kikwete was all smiles after the agreement had been signed.

“A new chapter has been opened today by this agreement,” he said. “It demonstrates goodwill and seriousness that the two presidents attach to improving good neighbourliness.”
“Tanzania feels privileged to have been associated with the landmark development and we are ready to assist in its implementation,” he added.

Kabila said: “Our vision is one of peace in the Great Lakes region. Our mission is to reinforce the already existing agreements with Uganda. With the signing of the agreement, I can comfortably say the mission is accomplished.”

He said the agreement would lead to normalisation of relations. “It is a testimony of the determination of both president Museveni and myself to do away with the image of Africans who are always at each others’ throats. We are determined to make peace in the region and between our two countries.”
Kabila urged the experts to implement the agreement as quickly as possible, “to make sure that the next time we are meeting, we won’t be raising the same issues of border security but development issues.

Uganda was represented by ministers Dr. Crispus Kiyonga, Prof. Khiddu Makubuya, Daudi Migereko, Fred Mukisa, Michael Werikhe, MPs Christine Bako and Charles Oleny. Uganda’s High Commissioner to Tanzania, Ibrahim Mukiibi, also witnessed the signing.