MONUC's October 3 Statement

UNCLAS KINSHASA 000841 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL MOPS KPKO PHUM PREF CG SUBJECT: MONUC's October 3 Statement ¶1. (SBU) On October 3 the UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) issued a statement criticizing the decision by Laurent Nkunda, leader of the insurgent group known as CNDP ("Congres National pour la Defense du Peuple" in French) to withdraw from the Amani process and redefine the CNDP's object as "national liberation." An unofficial translation of the MONUC statement is at para. 2, with the original text in French at para. 3. ¶2. (SBU) Following is unofficial translation of MONUC statement. Begin MONUC statement Kinshasa, 3 October, 2008 (1) The United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) strongly condemns the recent statement by Laurent Nkunda, who has risen up against the elected and legitimate government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). MONUC and the international community do not tolerate this new attempt to destabilize the political process. (2) MONUC also strongly condemns any attempt to increase tensions by calling for a military solution to the conflict in the Kivus. MONUC reminds all concerned that the Goma Accord ("Actes d'Engagement de Goma") and the Amani Program are still the only viable framework for a peaceful resolution of the differences between the opposing parties. (3) MONUC reiterates the importance of the disengagement process in the Kivus. MONUC asks all armed groups, particularly the CNDP, to adhere to this process as quickly as possible, to rejoin the disengagement process, and to respect the commitments subscribed to at the conclusion of the Goma Conference last January. In this regard, MONUC welcomes the confirmation by South Kivu armed groups of their participation in the disengagement process. (4) MONUC applauds the determination expressed by many Congolese who demonstrated recently for lasting peace in the DRC in several communities of the country. End MONUC statement ¶3. Below is original French text of MONUC statement Begin French text KINSHASA, 3 OCTOBRE 2008 LA MISSION DE L'ORGANISATION DES NATIONS UNIES EN REPUBLIQUE DEMOCRATIQUE DU CONGO (MONUC) CONDAMNE FERMEMENT LA DECLARATION RECENTE DE LAURENT NKUNDA QUI S'INSURGE CONTRE LE GOUVERNEMENT ELU ET LEGITIME DE LA REPUBLIQUE DEMOCRATIQUE DU CONGO (RDC). LA MONUC ET LA COMMUNAUTE INTERNATIONALE NE TOLERENT PAS CETTE NOUVELLE TENTATIVE DE DESTABILISER LE PROCESSUS POLITIQUE. LA MONUC CONDAMNE EGALEMENT AVEC FERMETE TOUTE TENTATIVE D'ATTISER LES TENSIONS EN PRONANT UNE SOLUTION MILIAIRE AU CONFLIT DANS LES KIVUS. ELLE RAPPELLE QUE LES ACTES D'ENGAGEMENT DE GOMA ET LE PROGRAMME AMANI DEMEURENT LE SEUL CADRE VIABLE EN VUE D'UNE RESOLUTION PACIFIQUE DES DIFFERENDS QUI OPPOSENT LES PARTIES. LA MONUC REITERE L'IMPORTANCE DU PROCESSUS DE DESENGAGEMENT DANS LES KIVUS. LA MONUC ENJOINT TOUS LES GROUPES ARMES, EN PARTICULIER LE CNDP, A ADHERER A CE PROCESSUS DANS LES MEILLEURS DELAIS, A REJOINDRE LE PROCESSUS DE DESENGAGEMENT ET A RESPECTER LES ENGAGEMENTS SOUSCRITS A L'ISSUE DE LA CONFERENCE DE GOMA EN JANVIER DERNIER. A CET EGARD, LA MONUC ACCUEILLE FAVORABLEMENT LA CONFIRMATION PAR LES GROUPES ARMES DU SUD-KIVU DE LEUR PARTICIPATION DANS LE PROCESSUS DE DESENGAGEMENT. LA MONUC SALUE LA VOLONTE EXPRIMEE PAR DE NOMBREUX CONGOLAIS QUI ONT RECEMMENT MANIFESTE DANS PLUSIEURS LOCALITES DU PAYS EN FAVEUR D'UNE PAIX DURABLE EN RDC. End MONUC statement. BROCK