International Committee meets to follow up on Sun City accord

The international committee to accompany the transition in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) held its first meeting on Thursday at the headquarters of MONUC, the UN mission in the DRC, a MONUC statement said. The committee is composed of representatives of MONUC, the five permanent members of the UN Security Council (namely China, France, Great Britain, Russia and the United States), Canada, South Africa, Angola, Mozambique, Zambia and the European Commission. Under the chairmanship of Amos Namanga Ngongi, the UN secretary-general's special envoy to the DRC, the international committee discussed how it would function, and its relations with the national follow-up committee to the DRC peace accord, signed on 2 April in Sun City, South Africa. Ngongi said: "We are here to accompany the transition process and to help the [national] follow-up committee to do its work after the installation of a transitional government; and to work towards trying to resolve the small problems that will arise." The international committee decided to hold weekly meetings. The first meeting of the national follow-up committee to oversee implementation of the Sun City accord is due to be convened next week by DRC President Joseph Kabila.