Support for Congolese and Rwandan Initiatives

The United States welcomes the Democratic Republic of Congo Government’s recent proposal of measures to eliminate the threat to peace and security posed by remnants of the former Rwandan Armed Forces (ex-FAR) and Interahamwe militia responsible for the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. We also welcome the detailed and constructive response by the Government of Rwanda to the Congolese proposal to disarm and encourage the repatriation of these forces and to relocate those unwilling to repatriate. In keeping with President Bush’s and Secretary’s Rice’s long-standing personal commitment to the achievement of lasting peace and security in the African Great Lakes, we support efforts to refine and implement these initiatives.

We strongly encourage the two governments, both of which are partners in the U.S.-Facilitated Tripartite Plus Joint Commission, to continue to consult closely with each other, and with the United Nations Mission to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) on a comprehensive plan to end the violence in eastern Congo. We urge both states to convene immediately the Joint Verification Mechanism to assist in implementing the plan. The United States, as a friend to both countries, stands ready to facilitate discussions and to help with implementation. We will stand with these two neighbors to support their efforts for the future of their region.

Ex-FAR and Interahamwe leaders must end their military activities and disarm and demobilize their forces. The United States supports action by the international community to compel them to do so if necessary. These insurgent forces remain under United Nations sanctions as a major threat to regional peace and security. The United States calls on all parties to respect United Nations prohibitions against providing them military or other support.