SC/8447
14 July 2005
Security Council, in Presidential Statement, Condemns Massacre of Women, Children in Democratic Republic of Congo
Members Call on Congolese Authorities to Prosecute Perpetrators, Stresses Need to End Armed Attacks
NEW YORK, 13 July (UN Headquarters) -- The Security Council this evening condemned the massacre of some 50 people, most of them women and children, which occurred on 9 July in Ntulu-Mamba, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
In a statement read out by Adamantios Th. Vassilakis (Greece), its President for July, the Council also requested the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for that country to establish the facts and report to the Council as quickly as possible.
The Council called on the Congolese authorities to prosecute and bring to justice expeditiously the perpetrators and those responsible for those crimes, and requested the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) to provide all necessary support.
In addition, the Council stressed the need to end, particularly in the districts of Kivu and Ituri, attacks by armed groups on local populations, which not only caused further suffering to civilians but also threatened the stability of the entire region, as well as the holding of elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Further, the Council called on the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda to abide by the commitment given in Rome on 31 March, to put an end to the armed conflict and to settle without further delay the issue of repatriation of their combatants.
The meeting began at 6:27 p.m. and ended at 6:32 p.m.
Presidential Statement
The full text of presidential statement S/PRST/2005/31 reads as follows:
“The Security Council condemns with the utmost firmness the massacre of some 50 people, most of them women and children, which occurred on 9 July 2005 in Ntulu-Mamba, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
“The Security Council requests the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the Democratic Republic of the Congo to establish the facts and report to the Council as quickly as possible.
“The Security Council calls upon the Congolese authorities to prosecute and bring to justice expeditiously the perpetrators and those responsible for these crimes, and requests the United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) to provide all necessary support. The Council encourages the Congolese authorities to continue their efforts to ensure the protection of civilians and respect for human rights within their territory.
“The Security Council stresses the need to bring to an end, particularly in the districts of Kivu and Ituri, attacks by armed groups on local populations, which not only cause further suffering to civilians but also threaten the stability of the entire region as well as the holding of elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Council calls upon the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda to abide by the commitment given in Rome, on 31 March 2005, to put an end to the armed conflict and to settle without further delay the issue of the repatriation of their combatants.
“The Security Council reaffirms its full support for MONUC. It welcomes the robust actions MONUC is undertaking in pursuit of its mandate, and the assistance it provides to the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to improve security conditions for the population.”
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