UN sends strong warning to DRC rebels

UN Security Council warns armed groups

The UN Security Council has issued a strong warning to armed groups in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to surrender or face expanded UN sanctions. The Council is demanding that the rebels hand themselves over to the Congolese government and United Nations authorities in that country for resettlement.

Two years after the first fully democratic elections in the DRC which ended a protracted civil war, the country still faces a threat of instability and insecurity, perpetuated by foreign rebels who are dominating the North and South Kivu provinces.

The UN peacekeeping mission in the DRC estimates that a staggering 6 000 rebels destabilising these provinces are from Rwanda. As part of their onslaught, the rebels are killing civilians, raping women and recruiting children as soldiers.

Last month, President Joseph Kabila announced plans to disarm and repatriate foreign fighters still in his country, voluntarily or by force.
He has the backing of the UN Security Council, which is also losing patience with the rebels.

The council has adopted a strong worded resolution drafted by France, calling on them to lay down their arms. The resolution also calls on the Congolese and Rwandan governments to work together to create conducive conditions for the repatriation of disarmed rebels.