[This is the version of this document from 16 May 2013.]
DEEPLY CONCERNED about the deterioration of the peace and security situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo;ALARMED that the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo were plunged into a new cycle of violence by the M23 rebellion;WELCOMING the mediation process of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) between the M23 and the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo;APPRECIATING the UN decision to put in place and fund an Intervention Brigade (IB) composed of South African, Malawian and Tanzanian soldiers which will function as a part of the UN stabilisation mission in the DRC (MONUSCO) with the mandate to carry out targeted armed operations against the M23 and other rebel groups operating in the eastern DRC;TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION its role to promote peace and security on the African Continent;The Pan-African Parliament,THEREFORE RECOMMENDS THAT:1.The International Community should not pull out, but should continue to support the DRC in its efforts for peace in the Eastern region of the country;2.The Intervention Brigade (IB) should campaign very seriously to gain the support of the local population in order to not be viewed as MONUSCO, who has faced attacks from the local population due to their failures to protect civilians;3.The African Union should request for the redefinition of MONUSCO;4.The African Union should encourage the Democratic Republic of Congo to start preparing as soon as possible for its 2016 elections by ensuring that there is an effective mechanism for free and fair elections;5.The African Union should exhort the DRC Government to take responsibility for its own political reforms, but also for Security Sector Reform (SSR) and Demobilisation Disarmament and Reintegration (DDR);6.The International Community should focus its efforts on assisting the Democratic Republic of Congo with Security Sector Reform (SSR) and Demobilisation Disarmament and Reintegration (DDR).
