“Ceasefire and disengagement continuing to hold” - UN

“The ceasefire and the disengagement agreement between the parties is continuing to hold” in the DRC, according to a press statement issued on Saturday by the UN mission to the DRC (MONUC). “Most of the forces have completed their redeployment and as of 27 July, 86 of the designated 96 redeployment positions had been visited and the disengagement of forces in those areas verified by MONUC observers.” The statement also notes that although Jean-Pierre Bemba’s rebel Mouvement de liberation du Congo (MLC) troops have nearly completed their redeployments in Equateur province, the MLC “has not relinquished administrative control of the areas its military forces are vacating, effectively preventing government forces from moving forward to their designated positions of Losombo, Abunakombo and Djefera.” According to MONUC, government and allied forces have agreed to hold their current locations for the time being. In Kisangani, MONUC is “engaged in efforts to persuade the Rassemblement congolais pour la democratie (RCD-Goma) to withdraw its military forces from the city” while MONUC observers are monitoring the ongoing repatriation of Ugandan forces from Basakusu, Dongo, Lisala and Gbadolite in the DRC. Meanwhile, MONUC “continues to investigate all reports of ceasefire violations and other incidents raised by the parties,” except in areas where security considerations preclude unarmed military observers from entering. The findings of all such investigations are forwarded to the joint military commission (JMC), which was established by the Lusaka ceasefire agreement and consists of representatives from all signatory parties.