Declaration of Kinshasa on the Peace Process in the Great lakes Region

by AfroAmerica Network on January 24, 2008

Declaration of Kinshasa on the Peace Process in the Great lakes Region.
Kinshasa, January 24, 2008

At the invitation by the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), a delegation composed by representatives of the armed political organizations that have fighters in the DRC and observers traveled to the Democratic Republic of Congo from January 19, 2008. The objective of the visit, outside the scope of the Goma Peace Conference, was to work with Congolese and foreign partners to find together solutions to promote peace and security in the Eastern DRC and in the Great Lakes Region. The delegation was composed by the following persons:
1)    Dr. Felicien Kanyamibwa, General Secretary of Rally for Unity and Democracy (RUD-urunana) and Head of the Delegation
2)    Mrs. Goretti Abayizigira, Vice-President of RUD-Urunana
3)    Major Gerard Ntashamaje, President of Rally of the Rwandan People (RPR)
4)    Lt. Colonel Christophe Hakizabera, member of the Democratic Liberation Forces of Rwanda (FDLR)
5)    Mr. Hyacinth Rafiki, member of the FDLR
6)    Father Thaddée Twagirayezu, observer
7)    Father John Berchmas Turikubwigenge, observer

During the stay in the DRC, the delegation held meetings with DRC authorities, members of the International Community, of which diplomatic representatives, the officials of the MONUC and local Congolese authorities. The delegation also visited with fighters and Rwandan refugees in Eastern DRC. In Kivu the delegation, accompanied with military commanders within RUD-Urunana and RPR and representatives of Rwandan refugees, held a public meeting with the authorities of the RDC, members of the International Community and the officials of the MONUC.

From these meetings and visits, the delegation, the commanders, and refugee representatives received explanations on, learned, or observed the following:
    The DRC government and the International Community are well determined to resolving the refugee problem in eastern DRC by all possible means, including military operations. The preparations for the military operations are well advanced and set to be launched from March 15, 2008;
    The government of the DRC and the International Community consider that the known fighters and the armed groups must conduct their struggle and operations in their countries, and not on the DRC soil;
    The conditions in which live the Rwandan refugees and the Congolese people in the Kivu, especially the women, the children, the elderly and other vulnerable individuals are dire and hopeless;
    The DRC government and the International Community concur that General Paul Kagame must be open to negotiations in order to resolve the refugee problem.

We thank the Congolese authorities for this initiative and for the opportunities offered to the delegation and to the representatives of the fighters and refugees. We particularly thank the Congolese President, His Excellence President Joseph Kabila, for his vision and his relentless search for the solutions to bring back peace, not only in the DRC, but also in the Great Lakes Region. We also thank the Congolese government, especially Their Excellence the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Antipas Mbusa Nyamwisi and the Minister of the Defense, Chikez Diemu, for their determined efforts to promote peace in the region and to have at the heart the aspirations of the Congolese and Rwandese peoples for a peaceful and brotherly relationship, necessary for promoting beneficial development. Lastly, we thank all those who spared no effort so that we could be part of the actors in the search of the solutions to bring peace and security in the DRC and in the region. We especially think about the diplomatic representatives in Kinshasa, the MONUC, and Representatives and Senators of the North and South Kivu for the fruitful meetings and their determination.

By this declaration we would like to reaffirm the following points such as communicated by the delegation, the representatives of the fighters AN-imboneza of RUD-urunana and RPR-inkeragutabara and of the Rwandan refugees in the DRC:

    The Plan of Repatriation and Disarmament of Nairobi constitutes a framework in which the solutions for the peaceful repatriation that respects human dignity and the international regulations in human rights can be formulated and applied;
    The Congolese people have suffered enough.   They deserve security and peace. The time for all the actors of the instability to engage into finding peaceful avenues is overdue;
    We are determined to promoting peace and security in the DRC and in the Great Lakes region;
    The struggle for the fundamental rights of Rwandans must be centered in Rwanda.
    The armed groups based in Eastern DRC and whose motives are self defense recognize the inalienable right of states to territorial integrity but also the fundamental right of individuals to self-defense. Hence, Rwandan refugees and fighters must ready themselves for a dignified return to Rwanda under the conditions of respect fundamental human rights and security guaranties convened with the Rwandan Government and endorsed by the International community;
    The Rwandan refugees are committed to remaining good neighbors, brothers and sisters, and reliable partners of the Congolese people;
    We confirm that the Inter-Rwandan Dialogue constitutes the necessary path to bringing back peace in the Great Lakes region. In the conflicts where this kind of dialogue was held, the dialog consistently proved to be an effective, less costly, and acceptable process capable of promoting peace and security, promoting justice and reconciliation and serving as a basis for building a harmonious society.

On the basis of these principles we would support a process that would involve the following steps, provided that the success would depend on the commitment of the Rwandan government:
1)    To get involved in the initiatives aimed at promoting peace in the region and in the DRC;
2)    Explain the process to the Rwandan people and other political and non-political organizations;
3)    To mobilize the fighters and of other refugees for negotiation and dialogue;
4)    To mobilize the fighters and the refugees for a peaceful return in their country;
5)    To abstain from all actions that could destabilize the DRC;
6)    To prepare for and participate in the Inter-Rwandan Dialogue;
7)    To build a Rwandan society where all Rwandans, without distinction enjoy their universal fundamental rights;
8)    To build a nation based on the democratic values.

We once again solemnly call on the General Paul Kagame to engage in the path of peace and dialogue. We are ready to meet with him to explore ways and means to launch this dialogue. The Inter-Rwandan Dialogue will transcend and unlock the political impasse in the Great Lakes Region. This call is not for reconstructing the Rwandan nation on a model based on the failed past, but a future Rwanda where our descendants will rise above what has until now divided Rwandans; a Rwanda where our children and our descendants will not live in the confrontation but rather would spend their time exploring and putting in practice solutions for the development of Rwanda.

Kinshasa, January 24, 2008.

For the Delegation,