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<html> <head> <meta name="Generator" content="Corel WordPerfect 8"> <title>MR. KILGOUR - ADDRESS TO THE NATIONAL PRESS CLUB OF CANADA ONTHE SITUATION IN THE DRC AND PROSPECTS FOR PEACE - OTTAWA, ONTARIO</title> </head> <body text="#000000" link="#0000ff" vlink="#551a8b" alink="#ff0000" bgcolor="#c0c0c0"> CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY NOTES FOR AN ADDRESS BY THE HONOURABLE DAVID KILGOUR, SECRETARY OF STATE (AFRICA AND LATIN AMERICA), AT THE NATIONAL PRESS CLUB OF CANADA ON "THE SITUATION IN THE DRC AND PROSPECTS FOR PEACE" OTTAWA, Ontario March 23, 2000 I have the honour of talking to you today about the current situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the prospects for peace. The conflict which simmers in the heart of Africa threatens peace and security in the whole region and deserves our genuine attention and concern. If this century is truly to be the "African century", a speedy and peaceful resolution to the DRC conflict will have to be found. Some academics and journalists have dubbed this Africa's first World War, with the DRC becoming one of the biggest battlegrounds in Africa's history, with the potential to destabilize a large portion of the continent. Already one million people are displaced as a result of the conflict, and 500 000 refugees reside both within and outside the country. The complexity of the crisis cannot be overstated, with troops from six neighbouring states fighting inside the DRC and at least nine rebel groups using the DRC as a springboard from which to launch attacks into neighbouring countries. The appetite for mineral resources has clearly been a major underlying factor in sustaining the conflict, given the rich deposits of diamonds, uranium, gold and timber. All of this is set against the backdrop of a country almost the size of Western Europe, which has almost no economic or physical infrastructure such as roads, communications, schools or health centres, and a political system which has been unable to meet the basic needs of its citizens. More than 10 million people in the DRC are now considered vulnerable by the United Nations. The glimmer of hope in this tragedy had been the signing last summer of the Lusaka Ceasefire Agreement by the government and rebel forces involved. The agreement called for a ceasefire, the demobilization of forces, the withdrawal of foreign troops, and the creation of a Joint Military Commission to oversee the implementation of the agreement until the arrival of a UN peacekeeping force. The peace agreement also called for an Inter-Congolese dialogue and the disarmament of the Interahamwe militia who were responsible for the Rwandan genocide in 1994. The implementation of the agreement has been slow and fraught with ceasefire violations, raising questions as to whether there is the requisite political will on the ground to end hostilities. I had the opportunity of attending the UN Security Council discussions on the DRC in January this year where seven African presidents re-pledged their commitment to the Lusaka Ceasefire Agreement. African governments also used the forum to call upon the international community to deploy a peacekeeping mission as soon as possible to facilitate the implementation of the agreement. Canada voted in favour of UN resolution 1291 to establish a 5537-member military observer mission of which 500 would be observers, to be sent to the DRC in the coming months. We do have reservations, however, about the size of the mission, which we feel is insufficient to fulfill its mandate. Our hesitation in supporting the resolution was also due to the fact that we believe the Security Council could have done better. While the resolution has provisions to review force levels in light of the security situation, we believe this contingency should have been factored into the numbers approved. We would also have liked to see a more capable UN observer mission with a greater extraction capacity, even if this required more personnel, but there was reluctance on the part of some Council members (such as the U.S.) to approve a larger force, partly because of cost implications. It is our hope that this phase of MONUC [UN Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo] will pave the way to a third phase of substantial UN peacekeeping in support of the DRC peace process. Canada continues to strongly support the Lusaka Agreement. To strengthen the process, Lloyd Axworthy announced contributions of $500 000 to the Joint Military Commission, $1 million for the Inter-Congolese Dialogue and $1 million for the demobilization and integration of child soldiers. There are an estimated 10 000 child soldiers under the age of 15 who have been recruited by the armed forces and rebel groups in the DRC. Canada currently has one colonel with MONUC on the ground and is ready to deploy up to 10 military observers. What is now needed more than anything else is momentum to get Phase II of MONUC off the ground. The message which the international community is continually stressing to all sides in the conflict is that the war cannot be won militarily and there is no alternative to a negotiated political settlement. Words are not enough; the protagonists will be judged on their deeds. We must realize, though, that the Lusaka Agreement, the deployment of MONUC, and the holding of a national dialogue will not necessarily bring peace to the DRC. These developments must be coupled with economic and political initiatives. Peace is certainly more than the absence of war or the containment of conflict. Peace requires economic justice and social harmony. In order to achieve real and lasting peace, the Congolese will have to address the human security concerns that plague the nation. This necessitates going beyond purely military considerations to include the personal security of individuals. The people of the DRC must enjoy sustainable economic development, human rights and good governance, which have been sorely lacking for many years. Visionary leaders will also have to tackle the sensitive issue of ethnic discrimination, particularly in the east of the country, in addition to questions of land and citizenship rights. These issues are most contentious in the Kivus of Eastern Congo, which has been described as a "simmering cauldron". Land is a genuine human security concern due to the high density of the population. Competition over land and resources has led to ethnic rivalry and at times pogroms are carried out by one ethnic group against another. For these issues to be resolved there must be concerted efforts at grassroots peacebuilding. There will also be no meaningful resolution to the Congo crisis for as long as the Interahamwe militias remain armed and camped close to Rwanda's border. President Bizimungu of Rwanda has repeatedly said that Rwanda will never withdraw its forces from the DRC until these militias have been disarmed. This stands as probably one of the greatest impediments to achieving lasting peace. Understandably, Rwanda sees the presence of these forces as a threat to its national security. Regional and foreign powers do not seem to have the capacity or the appetite to undertake the difficult task of disarming these irregular forces. There are no easy answers as to how such a mission could be accomplished, but mediators need to be seized with the issue as it will not go away. Ultimately peace will depend on the extent of the political will on the ground to adhere to the precepts of the ceasefire agreement. For the moment it appears as though too many interests, or shall I say economic interests are served by the status quo. Daily, the mineral and other resources of the Congo are exploited by troops and rebel militias, with areas of the country carved up into zones of influence. It is imperative that the natural resources of the DRC benefit all those who live in the country, and be utilized for much needed development, health care and education. It is our responsibility to do everything we can to facilitate the peace process, inject momentum and heighten the profile. I will visit the Great Lakes region in the coming months in order to support this process and assess developments on the ground. Humanity is indivisible and we must stop at nothing to stem the untold human suffering in central Africa. To the pessimists we must say that hope is a determinant of the future. Thank you. </body> </html>

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