Three-party agreement signed between the DRCongo, Rwanda, and Uganda on October 26^th, 2004 

A glimmer of hope for peace in the Great Lakes region

Mrs Ramazani Baya, Tom Butiime and Charles Murigande, Foreign ministers of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Uganda and Rwanda respectively signed on October 26^th 2004 in Kigali, in the presence of the United Nations and the European Union delegates, a three-party agreement on security issues in the Great Lakes region, mainly the neutralization of militias and armed groups.

The “Kigali agreement”follows the protocol signed in Washington on the same security issue in September 2004. This agreement states that the three signing countries will cooperate and set up a security commission mandated to neutralise the armed groups that are threatening the regional security. Among those armed groups to be disarmed are the Interahamwe militia, responsible for the 1994 genocide, and Ugandan combatants operating from Congo. Reference should also be made to dissident troops of Jules Mutebutsi and Laurent Nkundabatware, which looted and committed serious crimes in May and June, before crossing into Rwanda.

It is worth noting also that the Democratic Republic of Congo was completely devastated by a war, in which its next door neighbours, Rwanda, Uganda and Burundi, took an active part. Uganda and Rwanda provided military and logistic support to the two main and former rebel movements i.e. “Mouvement de Libération du Congo” (MLC)) and   “Rassemblement Congolais pour la Démocratie” (RCD). This war caused the death of more than 3 million Congolese civilians.

Moreover, in 2000 and 2001, Rwanda and Ugandan armies fought each other in Kisangani, the main town of  the Oriental province, for the control of financial and mining resources.  Hundreds of civilians were killed as a result of this serious incident.

Mr Charles Murigande, the Rwandan Minister of Foreign affairs reported: “we have made an agreement to establish a three-party mechanism to solve the regional security problems. A meeting assembling the Foreign Ministers as well as those of the defence of the three countries will be taking place once in two months to discuss about the questions related to peace and security in the region”, he concluded.

This agreement appears to be a glimmer of hope for the re-establishment of peace in the region. However, many observers remain watchful about its implementation.

Hériters de Justice welcomes this agreement between the three countries so as to re-establish peace and security in the Great Lakes region. It calls upon the authorities of the three countries to live up to their commitment  to disarm all the armed groups as soon as they can.

Héritiers de la Justice encourages political leaders of the three countries to take more human rights and peace related initiatives in the Great Lakes regions. Héritiers de la Justice calls also upon the International Community to remain involved into the region.

October 29th, 2004