The United Nations Secretary- General Ban Ki- Moon, made his fourth visit to Rwanda this May 23, 2013 to tackle issues revolving around DRC security crisis.
Ban’s visit to Rwanda comes as way of finding a lasting solution to the region security issues, following the significant role of Rwanda which is currently owning the Security Council membership.
During a two-year tenure as a member of Security Council, Rwanda has since pledged to tackle controversial issues such as sexual violence, the record of the International Criminal Court and particularly, its role in eastern Congo crisis, despite allegations that it is supporting rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Renewed clashes broke out on May 20, 2013, in Kibati and Rusayo, some 12 kilometres from Goma, the capital of North Kivu province between rebels from the 23 March Movement (M23) and the national armed forces in the eastern city of Goma, according to the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in DRC (MONUSCO).
As a way of pledging support to the Region, Ban is scheduled to visit Congo, Rwanda and Uganda to promote a new pact titled “Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the DRC and the region.”
The agreement focuses on accelerating economic development and fostering lasting stability in the Great Lakes region.
“This comprehensive new approach gives the DRC and the Great Lakes region its best hope for peace in many years. But commitments on paper must translate into action on the ground. A peace deal must deliver a peace dividend – development, opportunity and hope for people who have suffered for too long,” said the UN Secretary-General in a statement.
“Managing crises and attending to the aftermath of fighting is not sufficient,” Ki-moon and Yong Kim wrote in a press release. Root causes, like basic security and development challenges, must be tackled to end conflict in the DRC. The pact aims to boost economic development, improve health, education and quality of life in the Great Lakes region. The agreement is a result of work between the UN, the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region, the Southern African Development Community and the African Union. The deal has been signed by 11 countries.
