Goma, 6 September 2013 – "Political option could help bring the war and atrocities in the North Kivu to an end and find a lasting solution to the crisis in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo" according to a joint press statement in Goma on Friday, 6 September by the UN Special Envoy for the Great Lakes region, Mary Robinson, the Special Representative of the African Union, Boubacar Diarra, the senior Coordinator of the European Union, Koen Vervaeke, the United States Special Envoy for the Great Lakes region and the DR Congo, Russ Feingold, and the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in the DR Congo, Martin Kobler.

The high level delegation came from Kampala, Uganda where they attended an extraordinary summit of heads of states of the Great Lakes region on the DR Congo. They said with one voice the international community's presence in the summit was a manifestation of their solidarity with the DR Congo to help her pull out definitely from the many years of conflicts. In line with the Kampala discussions, they call on the M 23 to lay down its arms and join the negotiating table even if the military option should remain open. Ms. Robinson, the UN Special Envoy highlighted that the zero tolerance approach against impunity will be respected. There will be no Amnesty, or integration into the army and political institutions for the M23 members who committed serious crimes. This position was backed by all the special Envoys and Representatives to the meeting.

Sy Koumbo/ MONUSCO