afrol News, 18 May - Representatives of armed militia groups from the war-ravaged Ituri district in north-eastern Congo Kinshasa (DRC) have signed an agreement with the government to disarm and participate in the country's transitional process towards democracy, according to UN peacekeepers in the country.

The UN peacekeeping mission in the Congo, MONUC, reported that six armed groups operating in the eastern region of Ituri have agreed to begin a disarmament process. At the end of a meeting in the Congolese capital, Kinshasa, the groups also reaffirmed their support for the national transition process and agreed to work towards the reunification of the country.

- This is the end of the war in Ituri, Azarias Ruberwa, one of the Congo's Vice-Presidents, was quoted as saying by UN media yesterday. "It is inconceivable that there can be any fighting between you and the people, the UN or the army and police that will soon be deployed," Mr Ruberwa told the militia leaders united in Kinshasa.

The Congolese civil war officially ended almost two years ago and most militias got involved in the Kinshasa transitional government. Despite the deployment of almost 5,000 UN peacekeepers in Ituri last year, the mineral-rich district at the Ugandan border has remained under control of rivalling militias until now.

According to MONUC, the Kinshasa government and the UN invited the six militia groups to the capital on to a peace conference that started on 10 May. The UN Representative in Congo, William Lacy Swing, told the militia leaders this was "undoubtedly the last chance for the Ituri protagonists to confirm their commitment to definitely pull this Ituri region out of the abyss in which it has been for over five years."

Also pressure from the Kinshasa transitional government was high at the meeting. Nevertheless, the rival groups criticised the central government of having failed to take "its responsibility seriously and keep control over Ituri" so far. The militia leaders had only taken up arms to fill the power vacuum, they maintained.

The Congolese government during the week-long peace negotiations assured the militia leaders it was now to increase its presence in Ituri and guarantee security together with MONUC peacekeepers.

The peace agreement yesterday was celebrated in Kinshasa. MONUC commended the Ituri leaders for taking this important step and reiterated its readiness to provide assistance in the disarmament process. The UN mission also commended the transitional government in Kinshasa for "reaffirming its commitment to addressing the situation in Ituri."

During the five years it has lasted, the Ituri conflict left 50,000 dead, at least 500,000 displaced and caused massive destructions of houses, public premises and infrastructures. Several massacres of civilians in 2003 led the district to the brink of genocidal conditions.

The Ituri massacres were only stopped after French troops intervened in the district. In September last year, the French intervention force was exchanged with UN peacekeepers, who nevertheless did not have a mandate of using force against the militias still controlling Ituri.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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