AFRICAN UNION <A/ii juhi UNION AFRICAINE UNIAO AFRICANA
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, P.O. Box: 3243 Tel.: (251-11) 5513 822 Fax: (251-11) 5519 321
Email: situationroom@africa-union.org
PEACE AND SECURITY COUNCIL
375th MEETING
10 MAY 2013
ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA
PSC/PR/BR.2(CCCLXXV)
PRESS STATEMENT
PRESS STATEMENT
The Peace and Security Council of the African Union (AU), at its 375th meeting, held on 10 May 2013, was briefed by the Commissioner for Peace and Security on the ongoing efforts to implement the "Framework Agreement for Peace, Security and Cooperation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the Region", signed in Addis Ababa on 24 February 2013. Council also followed the statements made by the representatives of Chad, in its capacity as the Chair of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), Uganda, in its capacity as the Chair of the International Conference of the Great Lakes Regions (ICGLR), the ICGLR Executive Secretary, Mozambique, in its capacity as the Chair of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), as well as those of Rwanda, France, United States of America, the United Kingdom, the United Nations and the European Union.
Council welcomed the restated commitment of all the concerned countries to endeavor to implement the Framework Agreement and, once again, encouraged them to persevere in their efforts. Council commended the tireless efforts of the Chairperson of the ICGLR, President Yoweri Musevini of Uganda, and stressed the importance of ownership and leadership by the countries of the region in the implementation process of the Framework Agreement, as well as the need to involve civil society organizations in the countries concerned. Council also stressed the need, in the implementation process of the Framework Agreement, to pay due attention to socio-economic development, particularly the integration projects, as provided for in the Pact on Security, Stability and Development in the Great Lakes Region, and to support the revitalization of the Economic Community of Great Lakes Countries (CEPGL).
Council welcomed the deployment of the Tanzanian battalion as part of the MONUSCO Intervention Brigade, established pursuant to UN Security Council resolution 2098(2013). In this context, Council underlined its continued and strong support to dialogue between the Government of DRC and the M23, facilitated by the ICGLR Chair, and called on the two parties to resume dialogue as soon as possible. Council called on all parties, in particular the M23, to cooperate fully with this process, without threats of violence. Council further warned that those who put obstacles in the work of the Intervention Brigade and MONUSCO as a whole shall be held accountable.
Council, having recalled the relevant provisions of its press statement of 25 April 2013, welcomed the meetings that the Chairperson of the Commission and her Special Representative for the Great Lakes, Boubacar Gaoussou Diarra, and the ICGLR Executive Secretary, Ntumba Luaba Alphonse, had with the Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General, Mary Robinson, on the occasion of her visit to the DRC, Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi and South Africa, from 28 April to 5 May 2013. Council reiterated the importance of close coordination between the AU, the UN, the ICGLR and SADC, to provide coordinated support to the efforts of countries of the Region.
Council looked forward to the outcome of the inaugural meeting of the Follow-up Mechanism for the Implementation of the Framework Agreement, scheduled at the AU Headquarters in Addis Ababa, on 26 May 2013, under the joint auspices of the AU and the UN.
Council agreed to undertake a field mission to the DRC from 11 to 14 May 2013 to consider the situation in the region.
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