07 10 13 Voice of America: Signals Progress in Kampala Talks

Kinshasa
also expressed its commitment to implementing a regional peace,
security and cooperation agreement with its neighbors.

 
Ambassadors
from the 15-nation council met with President Joseph Kabila and a
wide array of ministers on Saturday. They also attended the final day
of a National Dialogue intended to ease domestic political
tensions.
 
British
Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant said the delegation's discussions with
Congolese officials centered on the talks in Kampala, Uganda between
the DRC and M23 rebels; commitments made in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
under the Regional Peace and Security Framework, and internal
reforms.
 
“The
message that we heard from everyone was a relatively reassuring one,
in that the president and other ministers said that they hoped
Kampala talks would conclude very shortly," he said. "And
also that they felt they were well advanced, and indeed more advanced
than some of the neighboring countries, on fulfilling their
commitments under the wider peace framework agreement.”
 
M23
briefly seized the eastern provincial capital of Goma last year.
Since then, the U.N. Stabilization force, MONUSCO, has been beefed up
with a 2,500 strong offensive force that is supposed to protect
civilians from all armed groups. So far, it has mainly gone after the
M23 because the rebels pose a constant threat to the
population.
 
France's
deputy ambassador, Alexis Lamek, said Congolese authorities signaled
that a political solution is within reach in Kampala.
 
But
a number of issues remain unresolved, including amnesty for certain
M23 members and the disarmament, demobilization and possible
reintegration into the national army of the group.
 
On
the Great Lakes Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework, which was
signed in Addis Ababa in February, the U.N. delegation urged the
Congolese to keep their commitments. They also recommended that
Kinshasa intensify efforts to reform the security sector, consolidate
state authority and further reconciliation and democratization.
 
On
Sunday, the delegation travels to the volatile eastern DRC, where it
will meet with the governor of North Kivu province, members of civil
society and displaced persons.
 
The
delegation will then continue to neighboring Rwanda, which the U.N.
has accused of supporting M23 rebels in Congo. The U.N. also says it
has proof that Kigali has been systematically recruiting children to
serve in the ranks of the M23.