African leaders sign Great Lakes peace pact
Source: Reuters
(Adds details, quotes) By Daniel Wallis NAIROBI, Dec 15 (Reuters) - Six African leaders signed a peace and development pact in Kenya on Friday, aiming to build on growing signs of stability in one of the world's most volatile regions. Landmark polls in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the election of a post-civil war government in Burundi and economic growth and reconstruction in Rwanda have raised hopes in Africa's Great Lakes nations. "Today's signing crowns laborious negotiations that have given our people better prospects for the promotion of democracy, good governance and shared prosperity," DRC President Joseph Kabila told the summit of six heads of state. Despite the democratic gains, the leaders at the meeting have cautioned there is much to be done to safeguard peace and stability in the region, which has been mired in conflict, poverty and ethnic tensions since Rwanda's 1994 genocide. Friday's pact included a $225 million security action plan to disarm a host of rebel groups -- mostly in the lawless jungles of eastern DRC -- and rampaging nomadic warriors on the arid borders of Sudan, Kenya and Uganda. "Special emphasis is being placed on the thorny issue of armed groups so we coordinate all efforts and build reciprocal confidence to end this matter once and for all," Kabila said. He told reporters after the summit he saw two ways of dealing with the gunmen destabilising parts of his country and the wider region -- dialogue or military force -- and both options are on the table. "We are trying to encourage them to stop what they are doing," he said. "The military option is quite expensive, but we still have it and we will use it if and when we see fit." The Congolese army backed by U.N. peacekeepers have battled troops allied to renegade general Laurent Nkunda in the eastern DRC in the past few weeks, in clashes that have killed hundreds. The leaders also signed up to a long list of governance, humanitarian and economic programmes, and a non-aggression and mutual defence protocol that reaffirmed their "strict obligation" not to let their territory be used by insurgents. "Member states undertake to criminalise any act of aggression or subversion against other states by individuals or groups operating in their respective states," the deal said. The projects will be financed by an African Development Bank-managed fund, made up of mandatory contributions from member states and voluntary payments from donors. On Friday, both Tanzania and DRC unveiled pledges of $1 million each. "This will be the first fund in which the countries of the Great Lakes pool their resources to jointly address the region's most urgent needs," said Dutch Development Minister Agnes van Ardenne, who pledged 5 million euros ($6.56 million) to the fund. Also attending the meeting were the presidents of Kenya, Burundi, Uganda, Zambia, and the prime minister of Rwanda. (Additional reporting by Wangui Kanina)
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