VILLAGE URUGWIRO - British Foreign Minister, David Miliband, and his French counterpart Bernard Kouchner on Saturday night met with President Paul Kagame and discussed issues related with maintaining the ongoing ceasefire and the emerging humanitarian crisis in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The two European envoys arrived in Kigali from the eastern part of DR Congo where they visited refugee camps in Goma.

On their return, both men will brief the European Union, (EU) on the current situation in DR Congo.

Addressing the press after their meeting with Kagame, Miliband said that their discussions centred mostly on the emerging humanitarian crisis at the border that has affected close to a million people and ways of maintaining the current ceasefire.

"We’ve talked about the imperative of short term help to DR Congo and the responsibility of the international community….the help would be used to build on the ceasefire that is now being agreed on; we look forward to the humanitarian corridor being opened on the instructions of the head of MONUC,” Miliband said.

MONUC is the United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

He pointed out that some of the other issues on top of the agenda in their talks with Kagame included the absolute vital importance of regional engagement in the problems that exist within the DR Congo.

He said that regional involvement in solving the DR Congo issues would play a significant role in restoring order in the now messed Eastern Congo.

"…this is why me and Kouchner shall not leave here to Europe but instead travel to Tanzania on the invitation of African Union Chairman, President Jakaya Kikwete to talk about the role of AU in the deep and political underpinnings of the progress on the issues that confront all those committed to see the implementation of Nairobi and Goma accords,” Miliband said.

He added that their talks with Kikwete would promote the need to put forward the role of the AU, the supporting role of EU and joint efforts to support not just the short term issues like the humanitarian crisis, but also the medium and long term political questions that are at the heart of any durable settlement to the social and economic problems in the DR Congo.

Aid for DR Congo
The British minister said that due to the major humanitarian crisis emerging (in DR Congo), many countries, including Britain, are committing large amounts of aid.

"In the case of my country, 47 million pounds have been released for the humanitarian aid,” he revealed.

Adding his support, Kouchner said that "…the humanitarian aid also depends on the EU. That’s why we are looking for all the forces to act together to help the people…”

"The question for the United Nations Security Council is; do we have to reinforce the MONUC troops that are already deployed in DR Congo?”

Commenting on Kagame’s talks with the two Foreign Ministers, former presidential envoy to the Great Lakes Region, Dr. Richard Sezibera, pointed out that their discussions were centred more on how the ceasefire could continue and what the region could do to help.

He also said that the European Ministers agreed with Kagame that the problems should be solved in the DR Congo and that the Kinshasa government should take a lead ing role in settling them.

"…but also Rwanda and other States in the region should assist with help in the context of the regional framework,” Sezibera underscored, adding that what is important at the moment is containing the hostility in DR Congo and providing a permanent solution to the underlying causes of the problem and what the region can do.

Sezibera hinted on the possible strategies to solve the DR Congo problem saying that, "There is need for political dialogue to contain the hostility of all parties involved in the DR Congo; to also have humanitarian access to the needy people and the need to find a way of implementing those agreements that already exist… the Goma and Nairobi Agreements, among others.”

Asked what was stalling the agreements, Sezibera said, "For the Goma Agreement, the problem is with the DR Congo. The parties involved are all Congolese, so I cannot answer that for them...as far as the Nairobi Agreement is concerned, the Interahamwe are also on DR Congo territory and there has been an agreement that the Congo disarm them and this hasn’t happened and clearly there is a challenge there.”

Crisis summit for next week
The latest developments include the announcement by AU Chairman, Kikwete, that he was involved in intensive diplomatic efforts ahead of a summit next week in Nairobi on the situation in DR Congo.

Kikwete is said to be optimistic that the Nairobi meeting later this week will come up with a road map on the way forward.

He called on warring parties in DR Congo to implement last Wednesday’s ceasefire in line with the Nairobi and Goma accords.

A ceasefire was declared last Wednesday by renegade rebel leader Laurent Nkunda following the retreat of government forces.

The framework to stem the violence in the eastern DR Congo and disarm the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) militias is contained in the January Goma Agreement and the November 2007 Nairobi Declaration.

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