Kinshasa — At the conclusion of a working session which was held in Goma, under the control of the President of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Joseph Kabila Kabange, the overall disengagement plan envisaged by the Goma Acts of Engagement, prepared by MONUC, was approved by the Congolese Government.

This decision was announced to the press at the end of the working session by the President of the National Assembly, Vital Kamerhe.

The meeting gathered together President Kabila, the President of the National Assembly, and the DRC Ministers for Foreign Affairs, Mbusa Nyamwisi, for the Interior, Denis Kalume and for Defence, Chikej Diemu, in addition to the Coordinator of the Program Amani, Reverend Malu Malu, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General in the DRC, Alan Doss, accompanied by MONUC Force Commander General Babacar Gaye, as well as the EU Special for the Great Lakes, Roeland van of Geer and Mr. Samuel Brock, Advisor for the US Embassy in the DRC.

In his declaration, the President of the National Assembly insisted on the importance of the immediate consolidation of the ceasefire, which must be immediately followed by the creation of effective zones of separation of all the forces under the control of MONUC, and then disengagement itself.

Alan Doss said he was satisfied that this big step was taken.

"What counts now is action," he underlined, encouraging all the actors involved to redouble efforts to ensure the return and consolidation of peace.

"Time is passing for the thousands of displaced people who must return home in full security."

It should be noted that the overall disengagement plan must now be presented to the armed groups, and the technical details of its implementation will be discussed by the military experts.

On the ground, the situation remained tense in several zones in North and South Kivu, this Wednesday 17 September, and MONUC Forces had to exert pressure to put an end to clashes between the troops of the Congrès National pour la Défense du Peuple (CNDP) and the DRC Armed Forces (FARDC), in the areas around Rubaya, 20 km west of Masisi in North Kivu.

In Minova, South Kivu, not far from the border with North Kivu, the military situation remained calm but tense.