United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (Kinshasa)
Sylvie Van Den Wildenberg
22 September 2008
On 21 September 2008, MONUC celebrated the International Day of Peace with the Congolese people. Many meetings on the topic of peace, as well as cultural and advocacy events were organized in the four corners of the country by MONUC, in partnership with the Congolese population and authorities.
The United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC) celebrated the International Day of Peace on Sunday September 21 with the Congolese people. Many meetings on the topic of peace, as well as cultural or advocacy events were organised in the four corners of the country by MONUC, in partnership with the Congolese populations and authorities.
In Kinshasa, MONUC organised a meeting between a hundred children aged 12-14 years from different backgrounds and members of Parliament on the topic of peace. The discussion took place on Sunday morning at St. Joseph's college (St. Anne Parish) in the commune of Gombe.
In attendance was Alan Doss, Special Representative of the Secretary General in the DRC and the President of the DRC National Assembly Vital Kamerhe.
At the end of the exchange between the participants, Alan Doss and Vital Kamerhe heard several messages from the children in favour of peace. In turn they addressed the children and the Congolese people, to express their solidarity towards the people living in conflict zones worldwide, but more especially in eastern DRC.
Mr. Alan Doss stressed that peace was above all in the heart of men, and to build it, it was essential to learn how to live together, to share, be tolerant of others, and to respect themselves and others.
"The peace process in progress is difficult," he added. "MONUC and all the United Nations family are here to help to advance it. But so that it progresses, it is essential that we continue to work together."
National Assembly President Vital Kamerhe also evoked the peace process in progress, and launched an urgent call to all active armed groups on the ground in the DRC, both foreign and local, so that they surrender their weapons and seize the chance which is being offered to them by the peace process.
Although satisfied with the recent initiatives taken in Goma by President Kabila, the Congolese Government, MONUC and the other members of the international facilitation team stressed that it was essential that all the parties observe the ceasefire immediately in order to make it possible for MONUC to be able to implement what was decided, that is to say, the separation of the armed forces, the first phase of the disengagement plan.
In this respect, the President of the National Assembly launched a solemn appeal to the CNDP in particular: "That our friends of the CNDP seize the occasion which is given to them to embrace the peace process. The best victory is that which is obtained around a negotiation table."
It should be noted that in the course of their meeting with the honourable deputies, the children strongly insisted on their wish to see their concerns taken more into account by the authorities.
The members of Parliament promised to relay this request, and to propose at the Parliament to organise each year a meeting between the Parliament and children from all over the country.
With this intention, they intend to propose that each deputy deals with the children of his district throughout this meeting in Kinshasa.
In the east, where the celebration of the International Day of Peace had a very particular importance, MONUC organised various cultural events and meetings with the populations and the authorities.
In Goma, for example, in addition to stage and musical performances, an exchange on the mandate and role of MONUC took place, which gathered several hundreds of people, a majority of which were students.
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