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The UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), known as MONUC, has initiated a study of the terms of reference for a verification mechanism set up to investigate recent tensions between the DRC and Rwanda, the MONUC Head of Public Information, Patricia Tome, said Wednesday.
The move follows the 25 June meeting between DRC President Joseph Kabila and his Rwandan counterpart, Paul Kagame, in the Nigerian capital, Abuja.
In an effort to ease tension on their common border, both leaders resolved to establish "a joint verification mechanism" to investigate activities on their frontiers and to adhere to the terms of the 2002 peace agreement signed in Pretoria, South Africa.
MONUC reported that the UN under-secretary-general for peacekeeping operations, Jean-Marie Guehenno, had said that the verification mechanism would "focus on the allegations of the presence of foreign troops in [the] DRC and of course the presence of Rwandan troops in DRC. Simultaneously, the mechanism will verify allegations of the support to ex-FAR [former Rwandan armed forces] and Interahamwe [militia] by the DRC."
Tensions between the two countries escalated in late May after dissident soldiers loyal to Gen Laurent Nkunda and Col Jules Mutebutsi invaded the eastern DRC town of Bukavu, occupying it for a week. The dissidents withdrew on 8 June, and loyalist troops re-entered the town a day later. The Bukavu seizure led to a wave of instability across most the South Kivu Province.
Kabila had accused Rwanda of backing the insurgents, a claim Rwandan authorities denied.
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