Adopted by the Security Council at its 6055th meeting, on 22 December 2008
The Security Council,
Recalling its resolutions and the statements of its President concerning the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in particular resolution 1843 (2008) and resolution 1794 (2007) and the statements of its President dated 29 October 2008 (S/PRST/2008/40) and 21 October 2008 (S/PRST/2008/38),
Reaffirming its commitment to the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of the Democratic Republic of the Congo,
Stressing the primary responsibility of the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo for ensuring security in its territory and protecting its civilians with respect for the rule of law, human rights and international humanitarian law,
Condemning the Congrès national pour la Défense du people (CNDP) repeated offensive military actions in the past months, which have caused massive displacement of populations in North Kivu as well as cross-border movements of refugees and which have also involved the PARECO and other illegal armed groups, and condemning also the attacks by the Lordâs Resistance Army (LRA) in the Orientale Province, as well as the resumption of hostilities by illegal armed groups in Ituri,
Underlining that a major obstacle to lasting peace in the Kivus is the presence and activities of illegal armed groups on Congolese territory, including the Forces Démocratiques de Libération du Rwanda (FDLR) as acknowledged by its resolution 1804 (2008), which represent one of the primary causes for the conflict in the region,
Taking note of the final declaration of the Nairobi summit organized on 7 November 2008 by President Mwai Kibaki, acting Chairman of the International Conference on the Great Lakes region, and President Jakaya Kikwete, President-in-office of the African Union, and the communiqué of the extraordinary summit of the SADC Heads of State and Government held in Sandton on 9 November 2008, welcoming the appointment of facilitators including the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for the Great Lakes region, former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, and the former President of the United Republic of Tanzania, Benjamin Mkapa, inviting these facilitators to keep the Council informed of their activities, and encouraging the countries of the region to maintain this high level of commitment on the crisis in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and act to assist efforts to resolve the conflict,
Recalling the joint communiqué of the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Government of the Republic of Rwanda signed in Nairobi on 9 November 2007 and the Acte d’engagement which emerged from the Conference for Peace, Security and Development in North and South Kivu, held in Goma from 6 to 23 January 2008, and reaffirming that the Goma and Nairobi processes are the appropriate framework for stabilising the situation in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo,
Emphasizing the responsibility of the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Governments of the region to prevent the use of their respective territories in support of violations of the arms embargo imposed by resolution 1807 (2008) or in support of activities of armed groups present in the region in accordance with the Pact on Security, Stability and Development for the Great Lakes Region and urging them to take effective measures to prevent cross-border support to any illegal armed group in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and welcoming the progress made in high-level bilateral talks between the Governments of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda,
Recalling also the importance of urgently carrying out comprehensive and lasting security sector reform and of permanently disarming, demobilizing, resettling or repatriating, as appropriate, and reintegrating Congolese and foreign armed groups for the long-term stabilization of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the contribution made by international partners in this field,
Recognizing the link between the illegal exploitation of natural resources, the illicit trade in such resources and the proliferation and trafficking of arms as one of the major factors fuelling and exacerbating conflicts in the Great Lakes region of Africa, and in particular in the Democratic Republic of the Congo,