Peacekeeping in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Peacekeeping and Conflict Resolution in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2013

United States views on international law [1] in relation to Peacekeeping and Conflict Resolution in the Democratic Republic of Congo: On February 24, 2013, the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (“DRC”) and ten other African heads of state signed the Peace, Security, and Cooperation Framework for the Democratic Republic of Congo. U.S. Ambassador to the UN Susan E. Rice** delivered remarks welcoming the framework agreement. Ambassador Rice's comments are excerpted below and available at (link resource) usun.state.gov/briefing/statements/205141.htm.

Some Aspects of Peacekeeping and Conflict Resolution in the Democratic Republic of Congo

The United States welcomes today's signing of the Peace, Security, and Cooperation Framework for the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the Region, a significant step toward promoting long-term peace in the Great Lakes. We applaud the leadership of Presidents Kabila, Kagame, and Museveni in advancing the peace process; the personal engagement of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and his chef de cabinet, Susana Malcorra; and the constructive role played by the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), the African Union (AU), and the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

Developments

This agreement is only a beginning. States in the region must now work to elaborate detailed agreements that address the root causes of the cycle of violence. For decades, civilians in the Great Lakes region, particularly in eastern DRC, have been killed, raped, abused, displaced, and otherwise victimized on a horrific scale. They deserve the full commitment of regional governments and the international community to ending the violence once and for all.

Details

The United States urges the DRC to seize the opportunity of renewed international engagement to uphold its commitments to an extension of state authority in the east, to security sector reform, and to improved governance. It is equally imperative that the DRC's neighbors respect its sovereignty and territorial integrity by preventing external support to armed groups, which is a violation of international obligations. We also urge the parties to address collectively the egregious use of sexual violence as a tactic of war, impunity for human rights abusers, the illegal exploitation of minerals, the prevention of further population displacements, and land issues.

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We further believe the crisis in eastern DRC is an opportunity for the UN Security Council to completely reassess MONUSCO's mandate to enhance the Mission's effectiveness.

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On February 25, 2013, the Department of State issued a press statement on the signing of the Framework Agreement, excerpted below and available at (Secretary of State website) state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2013/02/205161.htm.

Resources

Notes

1. Peacekeeping and Conflict Resolution in the Democratic Republic of Congo in the Digest of United States Practice in International Law