YouSaid · the spoken record

Ileka

lines on the record: 371
first: 2000-01-10
most recent: 2012-11-28
sittings or episodes: 24
sources: un-security-council

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“Reasons having to do with security, inaccessibility and, frankly, a lack of confidence in the capacity and the will of my Government to implement its policies to protect the rights of the child resulted in the United Nations being very late in providing support to my Government with regard to formulating appropriate policies to protect children in armed conflict and implementing initiatives, particularly outreach initiatives and those aimed at raising awareness.”
2003-01-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4684Resumption1 (2003) · source
“While today we welcome the sincere cooperation and partnership that has developed between my Government and the United Nations system as a whole, as well as the efforts under way to end this deplorable situation and fully implement norms and principles on the rights of the child and on their protection, we must nevertheless recognize that, at the time, the response of the United Nations, the international community and donor countries did not meet our expectations.”
2003-01-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4684Resumption1 (2003) · source
“That political will has been reflected in the establishment of an appropriate structure, the National Bureau for Demobilization and Reintegration (BUNADER), which is charged with following up and implementing the decree-law in partnership with UNICEF, whose valuable work is greatly appreciated. Since 1997, my Government has been aware of the urgency of the need to end the presence of child soldiers known as kadogo in the Congolese armed forces. Since that time, my Government has developed several programmes to demobilize child soldiers. Most of those programmes required multilateral support, in particular through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Human Rights Field Office in Kinshasa. Other programmes required bilateral assistance.”
2003-01-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4684Resumption1 (2003) · source
“182 - on the elimination of the worst forms of child labour, and, of course, the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC). The implementation of the Rome Statute is of great importance to my Government, which expended great effort to facilitate its entry into force, which took place on 1 July 2002. This treaty includes an important provision to protect the rights of children, making it a war crime to conscript children under the age of 15 years into national armed forces. The Council should also recall that my Government has been greatly involved in the process of protecting children, including through the promulgation of its Decree-Law No. 66, of 9 June 2000, which dealt with the demobilization and reintegration of vulnerable groups in armed forces.”
2003-01-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4684Resumption1 (2003) · source
“Despite the continuing financial difficulties and war, my Government has reacted positively to all the recommendations relating to the protection of children that are contained in the relevant resolutions of the Security Council, including resolution 1325 (2000) on the subject of women and peace and security. Furthermore, the Democratic Republic of the Congo is party to the major international instruments on the protection of the rights of the child, including the Convention on the Rights of the Child and its Optional Protocols on the involvement of children in armed conflict and on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention No. 138 - concerning the minimum age for employment - and No.”
2003-01-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4684Resumption1 (2003) · source
“Lastly, I would like to thank you, Mr. President, for having convened this meeting of the Security Council. I also express my gratitude for the Secretary- General's important report on children and armed conflict (S/2002/1299), which Special Representative Olara Otunnu presented this morning with his usual eloquence. I also thank Ms. Carol Bellamy, Executive Director of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), for her important statement. With regard to the item under consideration, I would like to remind the Council that problems pertaining to the protection of children are central to my Government's primary concerns. That concern is reflected, for example, in the existence of an institutional and legal framework to guarantee the rights of children.”
2003-01-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4684Resumption1 (2003) · source
“Mr. Ileka (Democratic Republic of the Congo) (spoke in French): I have the pleasant duty of expressing my delegation's satisfaction at seeing the representative of France presiding over the Security Council as we begin the year. My country enjoys excellent relations with France, relations that are based on mutual trust and respect. Allow me also, Mr. President, to pay tribute to your predecessor, the representative of Colombia. I commend him for the skill and ability with which he discharged his difficult tasks during his presidency last month. I would like to congratulate Angola, Chile, Germany, Pakistan and Spain on becoming members of the Council. I would also like to pay well-deserved tribute to the outgoing members. We are very grateful to them for their efforts, in particular with regard to the search for peace in my country.”
2003-01-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4684Resumption1 (2003) · source
“For, rightly or wrongly, certain individuals or groups of people feel that they are victims of injustice, and that feeling feeds intolerance. Hence the community of nations must take an integrated and responsible approach and tackle the problems head on, including armed conflict, poverty, disarming armed groups and transnational crime in general. My country will soon be making a request for assistance to strengthen our institutions and human capacity to combat terrorism. The Democratic Republic of the Congo calls for greater solidarity and full cooperation to combat terrorism and its causes, including injustice, poverty, crime and armed conflict, so as to free people from fear, as you so well said, Mr. President, and ensure a better and prosperous future for present and future generations.”
2002-10-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4618Resumption2 (2002) · source
“President, in your brilliant statement made at the closing of the general debate in the current session of the General Assembly, that, in a situation which does not always lend itself to optimism, the peoples of the United Nations are nevertheless continuing their progress towards the future as outlined at the Millennium Summit - a world in which people will live free from all fears and from need. In this regard, my country believes that in addition to strengthening the legal arsenal that we have to suppress terrorism, which is necessary, combating terrorism also requires an integrated approach and must take account of the political, diplomatic, economic, social and humanitarian dimensions of the problem.”
2002-10-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4618Resumption2 (2002) · source
“It is indeed that form of terrorism - State terrorism - that we must combat fully. Its consequences are incalculable and it represents a real threat to international peace and security. The Democratic Republic of the Congo has always believed the problems facing the world today cannot be resolved by the use of force. In order to combat terrorism we must develop a universal conscientiousness and sense of unity capable of eradicating this scourge and other tragedies that threaten the very survival of the human species. We in Congo are in agreement with what you said, Mr.”
2002-10-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4618Resumption2 (2002) · source
“The bill provides for, inter alia, the identification of individuals and groups involved in terrorism and terrorist activities, prosecution, judicial cooperation and penalties for the perpetrators of such acts, including those who finance them. The Democratic Republic of the Congo and its people have been victims of the most insidious and abject form of international terrorism - State terrorism - perpetrated by neighbouring countries in flagrant violation of the Charter. We are therefore ready to promote discussion and bring to fruition our work on terrorism. Terrorism is not limited to acts by individuals or isolated groups. It encompasses the large-scale organized activities used by States as a political instrument - activities whose nature and consequences are very serious.”
2002-10-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4618Resumption2 (2002) · source
“That committee will thus be the national body responsible for taking action to combat terrorism in the seven areas referred to in resolution 1373 (2001): legislation, financial asset controls, customs, immigration, extradition, law enforcement and arms trafficking. In addition to having established that committee, we are in the process of drafting a law on terrorism. It is geared towards bringing the national legislation of our country into line with the principles of resolution 1373 (2001) and existing conventions, as well as to filling in any gaps in our legislation by drafting a specific law on the subject.”
2002-10-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4618Resumption2 (2002) · source
“The committee, which includes representatives from the Foreign Ministry, the Transport Ministry, the Interior Ministry, the special security services, the police, the courts, customs, the central bank and other public bodies, will be deliberating on all issues relating to international terrorism, coordinating the implementation of relevant international conventions and defining, coordinating and implementing all national strategies and measures necessary to combat, prevent and suppress international terrorism, through close collaboration with foreign Governments and international organizations, in particular through increased cooperation and the full implementation of international conventions.”
2002-10-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4618Resumption2 (2002) · source
“Furthermore, in an effort to standardize and give specific effect to the efforts of the international community against this scourge, my country supports initiatives designed to resolve outstanding issues, in particular the adoption of a comprehensive convention and the convening of an international conference on terrorism. Such initiatives would round out commitments and actions at our disposal to combat terrorism. At the national level, my country's commitment was given substance by presidential decree 70/2001 of 26 September 2001, which set up a national coordinating committee to combat international terrorism.”
2002-10-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4618Resumption2 (2002) · source
“My delegation believes that the participation of the entire international community in combating this scourge means a commitment by each State to comply with the relevant international conventions through acceding to them and through its ability to take action at the national level to ensure their full implementation. In accordance with the provisions of resolution 1373 (2001), the Democratic Republic of the Congo has undertaken to sign all 12 international anti-terrorist conventions and protocols, which form the core of the legal arsenal in this respect.”
2002-10-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4618Resumption2 (2002) · source
“We also welcome the establishment of the Counter- Terrorism Committee, so skilfully chaired by Ambassador Sir Jeremy Greenstock of the United Kingdom. I would like, on behalf of my delegation, to commend Ambassador Greenstock for his excellent statement last Friday on the work of the Counter- Terrorism Committee. We would once again like to thank him, the Vice-Chairmen, the members of the United Kingdom Mission and the Secretariat for the work that they done. An impressive number of initial and supplementary national reports have been submitted and there has been a significant number of accessions to several conventions and protocols relating to the suppression of certain manifestations of terrorism.”
2002-10-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4618Resumption2 (2002) · source
“A concerted response by the entire international community and all peace-loving States will be required if we are to put an end to it. It undermines the very principles that underlie our universal Organization. The horrific events of 11 September 2001 showed clearly that no State is spared the scourge of terrorism. Current scientific developments are disturbing, and suggest the possibility that biological, bacteriological, chemical and other weapons of mass destruction could be used for terrorist purposes. The Democratic Republic of the Congo has always advocated combating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, and we therefore welcomed the Council's adoption of resolution 1373 (2001) on 28 September 2001, which was certainly an important first step towards curbing, if not eradicating, the scourge.”
2002-10-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4618Resumption2 (2002) · source
“Mr. Ileka (Democratic Republic of the Congo) (spoke in French): I would like to join earlier speakers in warmly congratulating you, Sir, on your assumption of the presidency of the Security Council and express my delegation's satisfaction at seeing such a worthy son of Central Africa presiding over its work for the month of October. We believe that your intellectual ability and diplomatic skills, together with your great experience of international relations, will ensure the success of the Council's work this month. I would also like to congratulate your predecessor, Ambassador Stefan Tafrov of Bulgaria, and express my sincere gratitude to him for having guided the work of the Security Council so ably and energetically during previous month. International terrorism is a threat to international peace and security.”
2002-10-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4618Resumption2 (2002) · source
“I cannot fail to mention all the staff of MONUC and all the associated humanitarian persons for their tireless efforts to find lasting peace and security for my country. To all of them I wish to express my Government's gratitude for their full dedication to the cause of peace and the restoration of dignity to the Congolese people.”
2002-05-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4532 (2002) · source
“It is my hope that all the recommendations contained in the report of the Security Council mission will be followed-up and implemented. For our part, I can assure the Council that the Democratic Republic of the Congo is prepared to play its role, as we are firmly convinced that, above all, we must respect the deep aspirations of the Congolese people as a whole for peace, stability and national reconciliation. I cannot conclude without expressing my Government's thanks to Secretary-General Kofi Annan and to his Special Representative in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mr. Amos Namanga Ngongi - whom I am happy to see here today - for their active support for the peace process in my country.”
2002-05-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4532 (2002) · source
“Those hopes include, in particular, the hope of seeing the aggressor foreign troops leave the Democratic Republic of the Congo once and for all; the hope of seeing the city of Kisangani demilitarized at last and getting the third phase of the deployment of the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) done; the hope of seeing the Congolese people peacefully enjoying their right to decide their own affairs independently and in full sovereignty; the hope of an entire people that their country will once again find its place among the community of nations to meet the challenges of national reconstruction and globalization; and the hope finally to live in a good-neighbourly fashion with the countries around them in conformity with their calling to be the cradle of African integration.”
2002-05-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4532 (2002) · source
“Leonard She Okitundu, who, in reminding the members of the Security Council's mission that the well-being or suffering of the Congolese people would depend significantly on the decisions that the Security Council would soon take, emphasized that the Council's mission raised new hopes in the hearts of the Congolese people - particularly among those in the occupied territories.”
2002-05-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4532 (2002) · source
“This question is crucial if we truly wish to break forever the link between poverty and the breaches of the peace and security in our subregion. My Government shares the Council's opinion that an international conference on peace, security, democracy and development in the Great Lakes region organized under the auspices of the Secretaries-General of the United Nations and the Organization of African Unity would help the countries of our subregion to re- establish balance, which would serve the interests of our peoples. Before I finish my remarks, allow me to paraphrase the Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Mr.”
2002-05-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4532 (2002) · source
“Since then, air traffic has resumed, albeit slowly, over 70 per cent of the national territory. While the immediate challenges before us may be the reunification of the country, the consolidation of peace and stability and the organization of free and democratic elections in order to put an end to the crisis of legitimacy, they will be difficult to achieve without a significant renewal of economic activity and a resumption of bilateral and multilateral cooperation. Today all of the country's infrastructure has to be rebuilt, mainly its roads and railways. The international community must attach the same importance to the economic development of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the countries of the Great Lakes region.”
2002-05-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4532 (2002) · source
“However, Kisangani is the mirror, or rather the reflection, ofthe despair and terrible suffering of an entire dying people. The social and humanitarian crisis in my country has grown to disturbing proportions that particularly affect the vulnerable sectors of the population: women and children. It is to the credit of the members of Council mission that they have noted this human disaster and recognized the broader problem of the urgent need for economic and reconstruction assistance for the Democratic Republic ofthe Congo. The Security Council's visit was a barometer and the members of the mission were able to see for themselves the desire of the Congolese people to a better life. Thanks to the mission, river traffic has resumed on both banks of the Congo River all the way to Kisangani, where the mission met a humanitarian convoy.”
2002-05-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4532 (2002) · source
“From our point of view, and with respect particularly to armed Rwandese, whoever they may be, we must be certain that they all leave Congolese territory and return to their own country. The Democratic Republic of the Congo wishes to live in peace and good relations with its nine neighbours and will not accept that three among them want it otherwise. The warming of relations with our sister Republic of Burundi proves that this is possible. I will not dwell on the thorny issue of the demilitarization of Kisangani. So much has been said and written about it. If the Security Council is to restore its credibility on this issue, it must act and act quickly. The entire Democratic Republic of the Congo is watching the Council and expecting it to take bold decisions.”
2002-05-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4532 (2002) · source
“President Kabila has stated and I reiterate that my Government does not and will never support armed groups that could destabilize their country of origin. MONUC can verify that. My Government is deeply determined to continue acting to consolidate the peace process in the Great Lakes region. It is in that context that the recovery and destruction of the weapons of the Rwandese ex-combatants should be seen, for which a symbolic ceremony was held in Kinshasa in the presence of the members of the Security Council. It is also in that context that my Government invited the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda to establish a presence in the Democratic Republic ofthe Congo in order to facilitate its enquiries and to eliminate any new pretext for a permanent occupation of a portion of our national territory.”
2002-05-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4532 (2002) · source
“In other words, the mandate to be extended in the coming weeks should include a timetable for the withdrawal of foreign troops, a detailed description of a joint monitoring mechanism and a necessary proposal to strengthen MONUC staffing significantly so that it may fulfil its mandate effectively. Similarly, in order to succeed in establishing peace, my Government has implemented to the letter the Kampala Plan and its Harare sub-plans concerning disengagement and redeployment. We have gone even further by cantoning Rwandan ex- combatants at Kamina. Some 20 of these have volunteered to go to Rwanda and we continue to await the authorization of the Kigali authorities to enable their return to their own country.”
2002-05-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4532 (2002) · source
“It is important that the Council be able to follow up on the request made by the Political Committee on 2 May that all parties be required to comply with the relevant provisions of resolution 1399 (2002), adopted unanimously, and with the measures and practical decisions adopted by the Political Committee at its meeting in Lusaka on 20 and 21 March. The Congolese people and its President hope that 2002 will be the year when peace is restored. In that respect, the Government has welcomed the idea set forth by the Council mission to create buffer zones that would promote the orderly withdrawal of all foreign troops and allow us to find a solution to the military aspect ofthe war of aggression. Any new mandate for MONUC should be steeped in that reality.”
2002-05-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4532 (2002) · source
“In the higher interest of the Congolese nation, we must make national reconciliation succeed, but we must also be aware that it will work against the demands of justice, for which history will judge us even more harshly. One principle dear to President Joseph Kabila is that of keeping one's word. Under his leadership, significant progress has been possible in the peace process; the inter-Congolese dialogue took place; the military front has remained calm and the ceasefire has been fully respected; and the disengagement and redeployment of all forces has been observed, except by Rwanda, which, contrarily, is strengthening its positions and is now fighting the Banyamulenge, whom it claimed to protect.”
2002-05-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4532 (2002) · source
“Contacts of that type have occurred, similar to those that took place on 2 May in Luanda, Angola, alongside the joint meeting of the Political Committee and the Security Council. Moreover, the President of the Republic has also noted his firm desire to associate that entity and those parties, even as observers, with the entire process that has been largely begun to establish and create new republican institutions. Finally, the Democratic Republic of the Congo is confident that the Security Council, for its part, will remain active in helping to make the agreement fully inclusive, in a spirit of openness and understanding. It is true that history will judge us on our ability to achieve national reconciliation.”
2002-05-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4532 (2002) · source
“I must affirm that the framework agreement, agreed to by 80 per cent of the participants in the dialogue, is open to components and parties that have not yet joined it. Discussions must continue on this point. I can assure the Security Council that the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo will spare no effort to convince our brothers and sisters who have not yet done so to associate themselves with the majority. In order to do this, Major General Joseph Kabila has given the Council every assurance that he will seek to persuade the remaining entity and parties to join the national camp. The President of the Republic has noted the Government's willingness to pursue discussions across the board with those who have not yet signed the framework agreement.”
2002-05-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4532 (2002) · source
“At present, we must continue to move forward towards the complete success of the remaining stages of the implementation calendar of the Lusaka Agreement for the greatest possible benefit of the Congolese people. I am thinking in particular of the process of creating new institutions; of deploying the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) in phase III; of disarmament, demobilization, reintegration and repatriation or resettlement; of the orderly withdrawal of all foreign troops; of re-establishing the administrative authority of the State throughout the entire national territory; of the disarmament of non- military personnel; and of measures to normalize the security situation along the internationally recognized borders.”
2002-05-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4532 (2002) · source
“I should like at this point to express the sincere gratitude of my country to Sir President Ketumile Masire for having conducted the facilitation dialogue that made possible that inter-Congolese agreement. The achievements, and the progress made in Sun City, will doubtless form the foundation of the renewal and rebirth ofthe Congolese nation. My Government would also like to thank President Thabo Mbeki of the Republic of South Africa, who hosted the dialogue, not only for all his efforts, which have been constant and which he continues to make for peace in my country, but especially for his personal involvement in the search for an acceptable solution for the majority of the participants. The lights have dimmed on Sun City and on the inter-Congolese dialogue.”
2002-05-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4532 (2002) · source
“We appreciate in particular the fact that, in following up on earlier reports of various Council missions to our subregion, this report has the added benefit of informing the international community of the efforts and immense sacrifices made by my Government to restore peace and normality in my country and to promote actions to return justice and dignity to the Congolese people. The Security Council mission coincided with the end of the activities of the inter-Congolese dialogue. Those activities were sanctioned by the adoption of some 40 resolutions relating to the organization of the transition, as well as the signing of the political agreement for the consensual management of the transition in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, better known as the Framework Agreement.”
2002-05-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4532 (2002) · source
“My Government is therefore grateful to the international community, which was represented in all its diversity in the Security Council mission, for having taken the time to visit the subregion once again in order to gauge the progress made since the signing of the Ceasefire Agreement in the Democratic Republic ofthe Congo and to give an impetus, which we hope will be decisive, to the search for a long-lasting solution and an end to the crisis that is gripping the entire Great Lakes region, whose prolongation represents a war of aggression of which my country is the sacrificial victim. The Democratic Republic of the Congo welcomes the report of the Security Council mission.”
2002-05-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4532 (2002) · source
“My Government is convinced that this demonstrates how concerned the Council is to ensure for the peoples of the Great Lakes region in general and, in particular, of the Congo - where the people have been beaten down by the devastating effects of a four-year war of aggression - the right to peace, as well as to development, enabling them to enjoy in peace their natural resources, without which there will be no economic renewal.”
2002-05-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4532 (2002) · source
“We have just been listening to the Permanent Representative of France, Ambassador Jean-David Levitte, who with his usual eloquence and clarity introduced the report of the mission that was recently conducted in the Great Lakes region - a region that has been tormented for more than a decade, yet where all the peoples affected aspire only to peace and a return to the traditional ties of friendship and fraternity that characterized the peaceful nature of their relations in the past. I should thus like to thank Ambassador Levitte for his statement, which was useful, solidly founded and well advised. This major United Nations body, which is responsible for the maintenance of international peace and security, has dispatched three missions to our subregion in the space of two years - a rare occurrence in the history of the Security Council.”
2002-05-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4532 (2002) · source
“Coming at a critical moment in the timetable for the implementation of the Ceasefire Agreement in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and, therefore, in the peace process in my country, I have no doubt that today's meeting will allow us to assess, together, the situation in my country and to analyse the prospects for peace, which, thanks to the support of the Council, no longer seem like an unattainable ideal for the entire population of my country.”
2002-05-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4532 (2002) · source
“Mr. Ileka (Democratic Republic of the Congo) (spoke in French): First of all, I have the pleasant duty of expressing my delegation's satisfaction at seeing you, Sir, presiding over the Council for the month of May. While paying tribute to the skills of your predecessor, the representative of the Russian Federation, I should like to say how grateful we are that you agreed to convene this public meeting to consider the report of the Security Council mission to the Great Lakes region.”
2002-05-14 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4532 (2002) · source
“We must restore balances that no longer exist and rebuild, practically from scratch, an effective State that is concerned with the most basic rights of its citizens, and we must do so on a sound and democratic basis. It must be a State that is capable of ensuring lasting peace accompanied by lasting development, for both the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the entire Great Lakes region. Lastly, it must be a State that is imbued with the highest objectives of humankind: peace, justice and prosperity.”
2001-07-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4348 (2001) · source
“My Government believes that the Council must, in order to preserve its credibility and prevent the peace process from being called into question, implement the measures it has proposed, so that the reluctant parties that have not yet complied with the relevant provisions of the Council's resolutions can be induced to do so. It must also take measures as authorized by the Charter of the United Nations, mainly in Articles 39 to 42. Only in this way can we hope to attain the immediate objective of the return of a lasting peace to my country and to the entire Great Lakes region. However, we cannot overlook the fact that there are other, equally massive challenges facing the Democratic Republic of the Congo.”
2001-07-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4348 (2001) · source
“Similarly, the 40-odd small, quick-impact projects that were identified by the Council mission are already beginning to be implemented. These all are tangible actions that prompt admiration of the United Nations and give credibility to its actions. It is in order to strengthen this credibility that my Government has invited the Security Council to ensure that none of the parties falters in its determination to successfully implement the peace process. My Government, therefore, has questioned the Council on three specific points: first, the lack of willingness of one of the parties to disengage fully in the province of Equateur; secondly, the non- demilitarization of Kisangani; and thirdly, the orderly withdrawal of all foreign forces.”
2001-07-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4348 (2001) · source
“As proof of this, the results of the Council's mission to the Great Lakes region - which we at home call the Levitte mission - were greatly appreciated by our people. The promises the Council made have been kept. The reopening of the riverine network for humanitarian aid and trade between Kinshasa and Kisangani is now a reality. It has also given rise to great interest on the part of the neighbouring countries directly concerned, whose hope it is that the opening of the waterway could extend to the tributaries of the Congo River, including the Ubangi River. This represents a fresh opportunity for MONUC to explore, inter alia by broadening the membership of the Congo River Basin Commission, which it oversees along with the concerned parties, to all countries that might be interested in taking part in it.”
2001-07-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4348 (2001) · source
“Fifthly, the Democratic Republic of the Congo believes that these security guarantees should not come at the expense of its sovereignty nor interfere with its territorial integrity. Sixthly, the Democratic Republic of the Congo believes that a just and lasting solution is within our reach. We must seek it and find it through a frank and sincere dialogue, in a bilateral framework, of course, but - better still - in the framework of an international conference on peace, security, democracy and development in the Great Lakes region. The establishment and the strengthening of relations of trust must be strengthened through a greater credibility of the United Nations and its Security Council. Failing this, the partnership that the Council has patiently built with the parties linked to the Lusaka Agreement might crumble altogether.”
2001-07-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4348 (2001) · source
“First, the Democratic Republic of the Congo has no hidden agenda in Rwanda. Secondly, the Democratic Republic of the Congo believes that all Rwandans who would like to live in their own country have the right to do so and should be authorized to return home. The others should seek asylum elsewhere, as my country wishes to remain from now on a transit country. Thirdly, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which bears no responsibility for the Rwandan genocide of 1994, will not tolerate its territory being used as a base for the launching of operations aimed at destabilizing neighbouring countries with which it wishes to be on good terms. Fourthly, the Democratic Republic of the Congo is convinced that any peace will be fragile if the peoples of the Great Lakes region have no guarantees of lasting security.”
2001-07-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4348 (2001) · source
“On their behalf, on behalf of all the Victims, we dare to call for this justice. With a View to tackling the question of the settlement of the war of aggression, my Government has taken the initiative of beginning direct contacts with the leaders of aggressor countries. The Secretary- General, Mr. Kofi Annan, whose presence here today we welcome, has also become personally involved, inter alia by organizing a tripartite meeting in Lusaka early this month. We would like to thank him most sincerely for this initiative and to ask him to continue along this path, as well as to explore other paths that would allow for the successful and early conclusion of the peace process. In line with its continuing quest to establish and build confidence, my Government would like to inform the Council of the following facts.”
2001-07-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4348 (2001) · source
“My Government would like to recall that these concerns stem fundamentally from justice denied - justice denied for the thousands of Rwandans who were the victims of genocide; justice denied for the thousands of Rwandans who were the Victims of human rights violations, crimes against humanity, massacres, summary executions and serious violations of international humanitarian law, even if those acts are not explicitly covered by article II of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, adopted by the General Assembly on 9 December 1948; and, finally, justice denied for those millions of Congolese who perished as a result of the war of aggression. We would like to stress that it is imperative to address the question of impunity and bring to justice those responsible for the most serious crimes.”
2001-07-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4348 (2001) · source
“They heard each member of the Council make comments and ask relevant and specific questions of the President of Rwanda, namely concerning the presence of forces of aggression on the Congolese territory, the permeability of common borders and the need to build a free, secure and democratic Rwandan society based on human rights, equality and respect for diversity. From our point of view, the answers were not convincing. Nevertheless, my Government is aware of the fact that security concerns - whether genuine or not - determine the attitude of the Rwandan authorities in formulating their foreign policy, in particular in the region.”
2001-07-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4348 (2001) · source
“Throughout that entire period, no one ever mentioned any security concerns, nor any relating to the former Rwandan Army forces (ex-FAR) or Interahamwe activities. Nor can my country forget that it took months for Rwanda to recognize the extent of its intervention. It then used as a justification the need to defend those Congolese whose nationality was supposedly being questioned and who were reportedly being persecuted by the Congolese authorities. The Congolese people recall that they followed attentively the Council's debate on 7 February this year.”
2001-07-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4348 (2001) · source