Provincial authorities in South Kivu review implementation of Addis-Ababa Framework Agreement

16 mai 2014

Provincial authorities in South Kivu review implementation of Addis-Ababa Framework Agreement

Bukavu, South-Kivu, 14 May 2014 – MONUSCO/South Kivu organized a session on DDR (Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration) process and mineral traceability for provincial parliamentarians and ministries. Similar exercise was conducted on Thursday 8 May in the same Region. The session helped members of both provincial institutions have the same understanding of the national commitments made by the DR Congo to the tools such as Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework and take stock of the progress made in their implementation.

The chief of MONUSCO-Bukavu Political Affairs division recalled DRC’s national commitments in respect of security sector reform (SSR), consolidation of state authority, more particularly in eastern DRC, decentralization, promotion of economic development, structural reform of state institutions, implementation of the objectives of national reconciliation and democratization process. The provincial Minister for planning highlighted that progress were made in the area of the restoration of state authority, namely in putting an end to the rebel movement “M 23” in the North Kivu province.

In light of its commitment to prevent armed groups from destabilizing not only neighboring countries but also DRC’s territory, MONUSCO’s Disarmament, Demobilization, Repatriation, Reintegration and Resettlement (DDRRR) reiterated the Mission’s technical and logistic support to the National Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration Programme (PNDDR in French acronym), adopted in December 2013. In this regard, PNDDR had identified for the whole of the national territory, 13000 combatants candidates for disarmament, demobilization and reintegration including 2790 combatants in the South Kivu province.

Responding to parliamentarians’ concerns on possible resumption of armed groups’ activities in eastern DRC as a result of mismanagement of the reintegration process and failure to deliver on the promises made by different partners, DDRRR representative underscored the need for involving leaders of opinion in the sensitization of armed groups on disarmament, adding that disarmament will help evacuate armed groups from mining sites, also recalling that armed groups live off illegal mining activities. To this end, MONUSCO has been insisting on the need for having a clear policy on minerals traceability and demilitarization of mining sites to make the province benefit from taxes deriving from mining transactions..

Biliaminou Alao/MONUSCO