“Peace in DRC depends on Congolese” - UN envoy

The UN envoy to the DRC, Kamel Morjane, on Thursday warned that the goodwill of the international community would not suffice to restore peace in the DRC. At a year-end press conference in Kinshasa, he appealed to the Congolese people themselves to shoulder the primary responsibility for ending the conflict. He called on the warring parties in the DRC to end all hostilities and implement the Lusaka peace agreement, which he called the “shortest and least costly path towards peace”. “More than ever, I remain convinced a military solution will not bring an end to the Congolese conflict,” the UN envoy said. “Every shot fired, regardless of where it originates, is a blow to our efforts towards peace.”

He said the recent wave of diplomatic efforts towards a solution to the Congolese conflict - particularly during summits in Algiers, Tripoli, Kinshasa, Windhoek and Maputo - was proof that no country was indifferent to what was happening in the DRC.

“This also means that Africa will never live in peace as long as such an important region as the Great Lakes continues to be in turmoil,” he said, urging the warring parties to resume a political dialogue towards a solution to the on-going crisis.