African leaders pledge non-interference

Leaders of three neighbouring African countries pledged on Thursday to respect each other's territorial integrity and prevent arms shipments to eastern Democratic Republic of the (DRC), UN News reported. In a communiqué issued after an ad hoc meeting in New York of representatives of the Burundi, DRC, Uganda and Rwanda, the countries also promised to "refrain from any action aimed at the partial or total disruption of the stability and national unity" of each other. The presidents of Burundi and DRC, the Rwandan prime minister, the second deputy prime minister of Uganda, in the presence of African Union Chairman Joachim Chissano of Mozambique, agreed to the statement. They reached the accord following a meeting called by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan. In his opening speech, Annan told the leaders: "All states in the region must respect one another's sovereignty. All support for armed groups must end. "There must be no illegal exploitation of the natural resources of the DRC. Transparent good-neighbourly relations must be established. There must be respect for civilians and for the human rights of all citizens." [Annan's full statement online at www.un.org]