voa标准英语2008年-African Union Condemns Violence in Congo
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The African Union has condemned1 the violence in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, and is launching a 'quiet diplomacy2' initiative aimed at bringing all parties involved to the negotiating table. VOA's Peter Heinlein has more from AU headquarters in Addis Ababa.A communiqué issued late Friday by the AU Peace and Security Council strongly condemns3 the hostile actions launched by forces under Congolese rebel commander, General Laurent Nkunda. The rebel chief commands a force of about 10,000 that is poised4 outside Goma, on the DRC border with Rwanda.
Nkunda's forces stand accused of looting, killing5 and rape6 during their advance on Goma several days ago. Rights groups have also criticized government troops for atrocities7 and looting.
The AU communiqué issued Friday does not mention Nkunda or his forces by name, but AU Peace and Security Commissioner8 Ramtane Lamamra said there should be no doubt it refers to Nkunda.
"The fact [is] hat troops of Mr. Nkunda are the ones who have launched the offensive," he said.
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| Internally Displaced People leave Goma toward an improvised9 IDP camp in Kibati, north of Goma, 31 Oct. 2008 |
Commissioner Lamamra said the African Union is working closely with the United Nations, the United States and the European Union to find a political solution before further violence descends10 on Goma. He told reporters a diplomatic initiative aimed at ending the standoff around Goma is a cause for hope.
"There are contacts aimed at bringing together leaders in the region," he said. "This is what I called quiet diplomacy, and we certainly hope this will bring fruit."
The AU communiqué pledged strong support for the U.N. peacekeeping force known by its French acronym12 MONUC, and condemned recent attacks on its blue-helmeted peacekeepers.
Tunisia's AU Ambassador Hatem Atallah, who holds the rotating chairmanship of the Peace and Security Council, expressed hope that a strong and coordinated13 diplomatic push could restore stability around Goma, where tens of thousands of residents and government troops have fled as rebels advanced to within a few kilometers of the town.
"This is the start of the process. Things can evolve," he said. "The main thing we are interested in today …is our strong concern about the violence and hostilities14, but we are concerned about the humanitarian15 situation. People are fleeing and this is exerting a heavy toll16 on the population, and this is our main concern at this point."
The head of the MONUC force said this week his peacekeepers are stretched to the limit, and asked that more troops be dispatched urgently. MONUC is already the largest U.N. peacekeeping mission, with about 17,000 police and soldiers in the country.
African Union officials said they support efforts to bring more international peacekeepers to the tense region. At the same time, however, they said it is unlikely any African troops are available to help. An East African standby force designed to respond to crises such as this is not yet operational.
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| Renegade General Laurent Nkunda (File) |
Nkunda launched a rebellion three years ago, saying the transition to democracy in the DRC had excluded ethnic17 Tutsi. He charges that the government in Kinshasa has not protected ethnic Tutsis from Hutu militias18 who escaped to eastern Congo after the 1994 Rwanda genocide.
Referring to the urgent need of a quick diplomatic solution to the current tensions around Goma, one AU diplomat11 commented "nobody wants another Rwanda".
