Annan moots sanctions against Rwanda, Uganda

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan urged the Security Council to consider various measures, such as sanctions and the use of military force, to demand the withdrawal of Rwandan and Ugandan troops from the DRC. “I invite the Security Council, acting under Chapter 7 of the UN Charter, to demand that the governments of Rwanda and Uganda order their respective armed forces to desist forthwith from further fighting and withdraw from Kisangani immediately, and from the territory of the DRC promptly thereafter,” Annan said in his latest report on MONUC activities to the Security Council. Chapter 7 provides for the use of force and other levels of responses, including economic and diplomatic sanctions. He said Rwanda and Uganda should be held accountable for the loss of life and damaged property in Kisangani. Annan also called on the Council to demand the early withdrawal of other foreign forces in the DRC, as provided for in the Lusaka peace agreement. He further condemned the fighting around Mbandaka in the northwest and in the Kivus, saying all these clashes were a setback to the peace process. He warned that the fighting and difficulties experienced in the inter-Congolese dialogue “augur ill” for deploying the second phase of MONUC. Also, given the recent experiences with UN troops in Sierra Leone, Annan said he had ordered a full review and reassessment of troop levels and other requirements before any deployment took place.