Security Council debates UN report on illegal pillage

The UN Security Council resumed on Tuesday its discussion of the 21 October report of the UN Panel of Experts on the Illegal Exploitation of Natural Resources and Other Forms of Wealth of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), UN News reported. In its latest report, the panel concluded that despite the withdrawal of foreign forces from the DRC, "elite criminal networks" had become so deeply entrenched that continued illegal exploitation of the country's natural resources was assured, independent of the physical presence of foreign armies. [Full report] The humanitarian consequences of the financially driven conflict had been horrific: in the five eastern provinces of the DRC, the number of excess deaths directly attributable to the Rwandan and Ugandan occupation since the outbreak of war up to September 2002 had been between three million and 3.5 million people, said the panel. The report recommended punitive measures to curb the illegal exploitation of the country's natural resources by criminal organisations and persons, including the imposition of financial restrictions on 29 companies based in the DRC, Belgium, Rwanda, Uganda, Zimbabwe and South Africa, and a travel ban and financial restrictions on 54 individuals. Addressing the Council on behalf of the EU, Danish Ambassador Ellen Margrethe Loj said the continuing illegal economic activities in the DRC constituted a serious obstacle to the peaceful resolution of conflict. "This is unacceptable by all moral, ethical and political standards," she said. However, she cautioned that those accused of involvement in illegal exploitation needed to be allowed to defend themselves before the Council. "But if true, this must be strongly condemned from all sides - and stopped," she said. Loj said the EU was "ready to assist" the Council with the imposition of restrictions on those found guilty of involvement, and supported the panel's recommendation to establish an ongoing monitoring mechanism. She also said that the EU was considering the panel's call for an international conference on peace, security, democracy and sustainable development in the Great Lakes Region. Speaking on behalf of Belgium, the former colonial power in the DRC, Ambassador Jean De Ruyt said it was "imperative" that the economic pillage of the DRC be denounced, and "all efforts be made to put an end to it". However, he said the panel's alleged failure to fully respect the right of parties cited in the report to respond to allegations was "regrettable", adding that the criteria for the inclusion of names in an annex to the report were unclear. He said the imposition of sanctions was "a possibility", but urged that other courses of action also be considered. He added that Belgium also supported the panel's recommendation for an ongoing monitoring mechanism. De Ruyt announced that a mission from the Belgian Senate's own Great Lakes investigative committee (Commission d'enquête "Grands Lacs") would travel to the DRC and Rwanda in the coming days, with a final report due from the group by the end of 2002. The Council was expected to meet again next week for further informal consultations on a future course of action, UN News reported.