DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO.

Stalemate in Peace Process

The Council on 13 October extended the mandate of the United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) until 15 December 2000. Noting in his latest report the stalemate in the peace process, Secretary-General Kofi Annan on 22 September said there was "little progress, if any," in the implementation of the Lusaka Ceasefire Agreement, and that it had been "consistently violated" in the intensified fighting between government and rebel forces in northern Equateur province. The hostilities had not only imperilled the peace process, Mr. Annan said, but had also spilled over into the Republic of the Congo and the Central African Republic. In addition, the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) questioned the validity of the Lusaka Agreement. Lack of any progress in the peace process would make it "difficult to justify" the continuation of the Mission's presence in the DRC. "It is clear that UN peacekeeping operations cannot serve as a substitute for the political will to ach ieve a political settlement," he said.

Expressing its deep concern at the continuation of hostilities in the DRC, the Security Council on 7 September called for "the accelerated withdrawal" of Ugandan and Rwandan forces and all other foreign contingents from the country. Meeting at the level of heads of State and Government, the Council in a presidential statement called on all parties to the conflict to cease hostilities and fulfil their obligations under the Lusaka Ceasefire Agreement and relevant Council resolutions. It said it was "deeply concerned" over the humanitarian situation in the DRC, as well as at reports of human rights abuses and of illegal exploitation of its natural resources. Calling on all parties to respect human rights and international humanitarian law and to provide access for humanitarian relief personnel, the Council also urged the Congolese parties, and in particular the Government, "to engage fully" in the national dialogue process called for under the Lusaka Ceasefire Agreement. The Council said it deplored the fact th at the continuation of hostilities and the lack of cooperation by the parties had prevented the full deployment of MONUC.