Press Releases

Statement to the Kivus Conference for Peace, Security and Development
by Timothy Shortley, Senior Adviser to the Assistant Secretary Frazer for Conflict Resolution

Mr. President of the Conference, Your Excellencies, Distinguished Guests, Members of Civil Society, Ladies and Gentlemen, I greatly appreciate the honor to address you at the Kivus Conference on Peace, Security and Development.

• First, I would like to state clearly that the United States strongly supports the Kivus Conference on Peace, Security and Development and is prepared to further assist the urgent implementation of the resolutions agreed by the conference participants.
  

• The core messages of the speeches yesterday called for urgent action to end the violence and to find peace.  Passionate calls to “seize the moment” and that “now is the time to find peace” were echoed with each speaker and recall what Dr. Martin Luther King, our greatest prophet of peace, described as the “fierce urgency of Now” in his “I Have A Dream Speech.”
  

• Using the “fierce urgency of Now” concept, the United States is ready to help advance this process today, tomorrow and throughout the conference to ensure a rapid end to the conflict.
  

• Urgency requires that all participants speak about the same principles and priorities and the proposed solutions must be within this framework. State sovereignty, effective governance and the rule of law, one Army and the protection of individual rights, and the right to live in peace free from fear and persecution must guide your work.
  

• Achieving the priorities of peace, security and development will require hard decisions and putting the interest of the Congolese people above the interests of any individual or group.  Peace is a pre-requisite to development of Congolese institutions.  This is exactly the finding of the Heads of State Tri-Partite-Plus Summit hosted by Secretary Rice in Addis Ababa in December 2007.
  

• During this meeting, the Heads of State and their representatives agreed that:
  

• State institutions must be strengthened in the DRC, particularly in the security sector, as a pre-requisite for long-term solutions to insecurity in eastern Congo.  Participants committed to supporting rapid strengthening of these institutions.
• No member state will harbor any negative forces.  Participants recommitted to deny safe haven or support to any negative forces.
• Existing commitments among the member states including the November 9 Nairobi Communiqué signed by the Government of Rwanda and the Government of the DRC must urgently be implemented.
  

• We must be clear:  Building the institutions required to support the State sovereignty of the Congo, one national Congolese Army and to protect individual rights of all Congolese requires peace.  This commitment was achieved in Addis Ababa, and I am restating it here today because of its importance.
  

• This peace can only be achieved when all armed groups – foreign and domestic lay down their arms and choose either brassage or disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR), or repatriation and resettlement.  This includes the FDLR, as previously mentioned, as well as Nkunda, PARECO and Mai Mai.  Protection of combatants who choose to lay down their arms and of the civilian population will be ensured by the Government with the support of the international community.
  

• Beyond the brassage and DDR, your Conference must transform the existing ceasefire into one that is durable and long-term, and work with MONUC to increase its presence in areas within which armed groups will be disarmed, undertaking to protect all civilian populations, and particularly the most vulnerable groups, as well as troops going to brassage and DDR.
  

• Peace can come to North and South Kivu if all combatants abide by these principles.
  

• With peace in the Kivus, the United States stands ready to:
• Help return the internally displaced persons and refugees to their homes;
• Help rebuild communities destroyed by decades of violent and deadly conflict; and
• Help build the security institutions of the Congo and to extend State authority and capacity to help the national and local governments meet and serve the needs of the Congolese people.
  

• Ending the violence will help to put an end to the scourge of sexually based violence and help protect the rights of women and children.  We are all committed to protect all vulnerable groups.
  

• In closing, I have the honor today to read to you a special message from the Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice.
• The United States welcomes and is proud to support the Kivus Conference on Peace, Security and Development.  We see the Kivus Conference as the continuation of an evolving process, first set forth at Lusaka and recently extended through the Nairobi and Arusha communiqués to resolve the underlying causes of conflict in eastern Congo and complete and urgently implement a framework for lasting peace. 
• The United States believes this process is the best path toward achieving lasting peace and prosperity in the Kivus.  The United States strongly support efforts by the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to bring peace to eastern Congo.
  

• Again, I would like to thank you for the honor of addressing you here today.  The United States stands ready to assist you in forging a lasting peace in North and South Kivu.