UN mission warns Rwanda on its threat to strike rebels in DR of Congo

The United Nations today called on Rwanda to respect international law following its threat to strike against rebels based in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), warning that the UN mission's mandate in the DRC includes preventing the peace process from being derailed by spoilers from within or without.

The UN Organization Mission in the DRC (MONUC) said Rwanda's announcement seriously threatened the transition process in its vast neighbour and in the region, voicing concern that this kind of action is aimed at undermining the credibility of the international community's effort to stabilize the DRC.

"Rwanda must respect international law and the authority of the Security Council, which is still present in the region," it added, referring to the Council's mission to Central Africa, which had talks in Kigali, the Rwandan capital, with President Paul Kagame just last Sunday.

Rwanda became involved in the DRC's civil war after Hutu extremist militias blamed for the Rwandan genocide of Tutsis and moderate Hutus in 1994 took refuge across the border. After ceasefire accords ended the fighting in the DRC, Rwanda withdrew its troops, but in July a UN expert group found that it supported dissident military leaders in eastern DRC and directly and indirectly violated the weapons embargo against militias.

MONUC said it had just begun the deployment of an additional brigade to North Kivu, which will give additional security to the region.

It added that Rwanda should fulfil its commitments by making use of the Joint Verification Mechanism, a body comprising experts from the Governments of both countries, the UN and the African Union to address alleged border security threats.

The Security Council mission, now in Bujumbura, capital of neighbouring and equally strife-torn Burundi, was studying the situation between Rwanda and DRC.

It also held talks with President Domitien Ndayizeye and other leaders and members of civil society.

The mission's message to all parties was that they needed to hold elections as scheduled next year and implement key reforms to pave the way to peace in the small nation of some 6 million people torn asunder by conflicts between Hutus and Tutsis.