Political stability in the Democratic Republic of Congo would benefit the whole Central African region where conflicts have disrupted peace and development schemes, the United Nations said on Tuesday.
”Congo is the natural, yet still developing, pole of stability in the troubled region of Central Africa,” UN undersecretary-general for peacekeeping operations, Jean-Marie Guehenno, told the UN Security Council.
He was briefing the panel on the 2006 outcome of the DRC’s first democratic presidential elections, held after 40 years of conflict — one of Africa’s worst and longest running conflicts.
”The resolution of the crisis in Congo will benefit Africa more than solving any other of the continent current conflicts,” he said. ”Moreover, if Africa’s worst conflict can be solved, then other conflicts can be, too.”
The European Union, the UN and World Bank spent an estimated $500-million to ensure success in the elections, backed by more than 20 000 peacekeepers in the vast country, the largest UN peace mission in the world.
Joseph Kabila, whose late father Laurent Kabila ousted Congolese dictator Mobutu Sese Seko in the late ’90s only to impose a new reign of terror, was elected president in the second round of voting in October.
Guehenno said the international community should continue its support of the DRC and warned against any early disengagement of the peace force until Kinshasa has gained political strength.
Javier Solana, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, told the council that the EU deployed a large force under German command to provide security for the elections in the DRC.
”We can state that the mission has been a success, both in the way it has been conducted and in its contribution to the overall positive conclusion of the transition in Congo,” Solana said.
German UN Ambassador Thomas Matussek, whose country currently chairs the EU, said the EU remains committed to support the consolidation of stability and reconstruction in the DRC.
”It is essential that future cooperation be based on the new authorities’ strong commitment to good governance and the strengthening of the rule of law,” Matussek said. – Sapa-DPA