Museveni warns Congo M23 rebels

Sep 07, 2013

President Museveni has warned the M23 rebels against using unconstitutional means to change Government, urging the DRC and M23 to resume talks to resolve the conflict amicably.

By Vision reporter

KAMPALA - President Museveni has warned the M23 rebels against using unconstitutional means to change Government, urging the DRC and M23 to resume talks to resolve the conflict amicably.

He said that if the resolutions agreed upon in the talks are implemented, it would enable the M23 to come out peacefully and solve issues. Uganda is the lead facilitator in the talks between the Congo Government and the M23 group.

The President was speaking during the 7th extra ordinary summit of the Heads of State and Government of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) at the Commonwealth Resort in Munyonyo Kampala.

Museveni is the current Chairman of the ICGLR Summit which has been convened to discuss the worsening security situation in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. It was attended by Presidents Joseph Kabila of D.R. Congo, Paul Kagame of Rwanda, Salva Kiir of South Sudan and Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania.

He appealed to the international community to come to the aid of the Congolese refugees, saying the renewed fighting had created an influx of refugees into Uganda, South Sudan and Rwanda. He said that the ICGLR was working closely with the U.N. to solve the challenges in the D.R.Congo.

Museveni thanked the Presidents of the Region for attending the summit at a short notice and said that it was held due to the renewed fighting in the Goma Region.

He revealed that there were many areas near the Congo- Uganda border that are infested with terrorists. He commended President Joseph Kabila and the Congo Government for its role in eliminating Cobra, a character who has been terrorizing the area near Bunia.

The ICGLR leaders commended President Museveni for his untiring efforts in the search for a lasting solution to the security and humanitarian crisis in Eastern D.R. Congo and encouraged him to continue his efforts.

The ICGLR Summit issued a communiqué and signed the Kampala declaration. It was presented by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Hon. Sam Kutesa.

They reaffirmed their support to the ongoing dialogue in Kampala between the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo and M23.

They strongly condemned the recent bombings in Munigi and Goma in DRC that resulted in the death of a Senior U.N. officer attached to the Intervention Brigade and the bombings from DRC territory that have resulted in the deaths of civilians in Rwanda.

They directed the Expanded Joint Verification Mechanism to complete the verification process and provide a report to the Chairperson of the Committee of Ministers of Defence.

The Summit directed M23 to end all military activities and stop war and threats of overthrowing the lawful Government of DRC. It expressed strong concern on the humanitarian crisis exacerbated by the fighting in Eastern DRC and called on the International Community to provide urgent humanitarian assistance such as food, medicines, tents etc.

The presidents requested the United Nations System to urgently find a definitive solution to the former M23 combatants interned in Rwanda since March 2013.    

The Chairperson of the African Union Commission Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma noted that the suffering of the Congo population had lasted too long. She said that the AU was opposed to a change of democratically elected Governments.

She said that the stakeholders should accept to solve issues through dialogue. She called on all parties in the conflict to respect the past and future agreements.

She said that there was need for them to work closely to solve the conflict in DRC for the benefit of Africa.

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