United Nations Security Council Resolution 1484
Encyclopedia
United Nations
Security Council Resolution
1484, adopted unanimously on May 30, 2003, after recalling previous resolutions on the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
, the Council authorised Operation Artemis
in Bunia
, the capital of Ituri Province, amid the deteriorating security situation in the area.
Lendu
and Hema
militia
s were battling for control of the town after Uganda
n troops withdrew after the signing of a peace agreement, and Congolese police fled. During discussions regarding the deployment of an international force, Council diplomats were mindful of a repetition of the Rwandan Genocide
in 1994. A French
-led force was later agreed.
The preamble of the resolution also praised the United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo
(MONUC) for its efforts to stabilise the situation in Bunia and Ituri, particularly the performance of the Uruguay
an contingent (soon to be joined by a Bangladesh
i force). It deplored attacks on MONUC and the resulting loss of life. Determining the situation to be a threat to international peace and security in the region, the Council considered requests from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ituri parties, Rwanda
and Uganda
to deploy a multinational force in Bunia.
, the Council authorised the deployment of a temporary multinational force in Bunia to work in close co-ordination with MONUC until September 1, 2003. It was mandated
to assist the MONUC contingent already in Bunia; stabilise the security situation; improve the humanitarian situation; protect Bunia Airport
and internally displaced person
s; and contribute to the protection of the civilian population, United Nations and humanitarian personnel. It stressed the temporary nature of the force in order to allow MONUC's presence to be reinforced in Bunia by mid-August 2003. All states participating in the force were authorised to use all necessary measures to fulfil its mandate.
The international community
was called upon to contribute to the multinational force through the provision of personnel, equipment, logistical and financial support. The resolution demanded that the parties to the conflict in the Ituri region immediately end hostilities and strongly condemned deliberate killings of MONUC and humanitarian personnel, reiterating the need for respect of international humanitarian law
. Furthermore, the Council demanded that all Congolese parties and states in the Great Lakes region
respect human rights
, end support for armed groups and militias, and co-operate with the international force and MONUC in Bunia.
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
Security Council Resolution
United Nations Security Council Resolution
A United Nations Security Council resolution is a UN resolution adopted by the fifteen members of the Security Council; the UN body charged with "primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security"....
1484, adopted unanimously on May 30, 2003, after recalling previous resolutions on the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
, the Council authorised Operation Artemis
Operation Artemis
Operation Artemis was a short-term European Union-led military mission to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.In the beginning of 2003 United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo, or MONUC, observer teams present in that country since 1999 monitored serious combats and human rights...
in Bunia
Bunia
Bunia is a city in Democratic Republic of the Congo and is the headquarters of Ituri Interim Administration in the Ituri region of Orientale Province....
, the capital of Ituri Province, amid the deteriorating security situation in the area.
Lendu
Lendu
The Lendu, or Balendru, are an ethno-linguistic agriculturalist group residing in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo in the area west and northwest of Lake Albert, in particular the Ituri region of Orientale province. Their language is one of the most populous of the Central Sudanic languages...
and Hema
Hema people
The Hema, or Hima, are an ethnic group with about 160,000 members located in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, in particular the Ituri region and Orientale province, as well as parts of Uganda and Rwanda...
militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
s were battling for control of the town after Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
n troops withdrew after the signing of a peace agreement, and Congolese police fled. During discussions regarding the deployment of an international force, Council diplomats were mindful of a repetition of the Rwandan Genocide
Rwandan Genocide
The Rwandan Genocide was the 1994 mass murder of an estimated 800,000 people in the small East African nation of Rwanda. Over the course of approximately 100 days through mid-July, over 500,000 people were killed, according to a Human Rights Watch estimate...
in 1994. A French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
-led force was later agreed.
Observations
The Security Council was determined to promote the Congolese peace process, including the establishment of an inclusive transitional government. There was concern at fighting in the Ituri region in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the humanitarian situation in the town of Bunia. Furthermore, there was an urgent need for a secure base to allow the interim administration in Ituri to function.The preamble of the resolution also praised the United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo
United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo
The United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo or MONUSCO , is a United Nations peacekeeping force in the Democratic Republic of the Congo which was established by the United Nations Security Council in resolutions 1279...
(MONUC) for its efforts to stabilise the situation in Bunia and Ituri, particularly the performance of the Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
an contingent (soon to be joined by a Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
i force). It deplored attacks on MONUC and the resulting loss of life. Determining the situation to be a threat to international peace and security in the region, the Council considered requests from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ituri parties, Rwanda
Rwanda
Rwanda or , officially the Republic of Rwanda , is a country in central and eastern Africa with a population of approximately 11.4 million . Rwanda is located a few degrees south of the Equator, and is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo...
and Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
to deploy a multinational force in Bunia.
Acts
Acting under Chapter VII of the United Nations CharterChapter VII of the United Nations Charter
Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter sets out the UN Security Council's powers to maintain peace. It allows the Council to "determine the existence of any threat to the peace, breach of the peace, or act of aggression" and to take military and nonmilitary action to "restore international peace...
, the Council authorised the deployment of a temporary multinational force in Bunia to work in close co-ordination with MONUC until September 1, 2003. It was mandated
Mandate (international law)
In international law, a mandate is a binding obligation issued from an inter-governmental organization like the United Nations to a country which is bound to follow the instructions of the organization....
to assist the MONUC contingent already in Bunia; stabilise the security situation; improve the humanitarian situation; protect Bunia Airport
Bunia Airport
Bunia Airport is an airport in Bunia, Democratic Republic of the Congo.-Airlines and destinations:...
and internally displaced person
Internally displaced person
An internally displaced person is someone who is forced to flee his or her home but who remains within his or her country's borders. They are often referred to as refugees, although they do not fall within the current legal definition of a refugee. At the end of 2006 it was estimated there were...
s; and contribute to the protection of the civilian population, United Nations and humanitarian personnel. It stressed the temporary nature of the force in order to allow MONUC's presence to be reinforced in Bunia by mid-August 2003. All states participating in the force were authorised to use all necessary measures to fulfil its mandate.
The international community
International community
The international community is a term used in international relations to refer to all peoples, cultures and governments of the world or to a group of them. The term is used to imply the existence of common duties and obligations between them...
was called upon to contribute to the multinational force through the provision of personnel, equipment, logistical and financial support. The resolution demanded that the parties to the conflict in the Ituri region immediately end hostilities and strongly condemned deliberate killings of MONUC and humanitarian personnel, reiterating the need for respect of international humanitarian law
International humanitarian law
International humanitarian law , often referred to as the laws of war, the laws and customs of war or the law of armed conflict, is the legal corpus that comprises "the Geneva Conventions and the Hague Conventions, as well as subsequent treaties, case law, and customary international law." It...
. Furthermore, the Council demanded that all Congolese parties and states in the Great Lakes region
African Great Lakes
The African Great Lakes are a series of lakes and the Rift Valley lakes in and around the geographic Great Rift Valley formed by the action of the tectonic East African Rift on the continent of Africa...
respect human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
, end support for armed groups and militias, and co-operate with the international force and MONUC in Bunia.
See also
- Kivu conflictKivu conflictThe Kivu conflict is an armed conflict between the military of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Hutu Power group Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda . The United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo also became involved in the conflict...
- Ituri conflictIturi ConflictThe Ituri conflict is a conflict between the agriculturalist Lendu and pastoralist Hema ethnic groups in the Ituri region of the northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo . While there have been many phases to the conflict, the most recent armed clashes ran from 1999 to 2003, with a low-level...
- List of United Nations Security Council Resolutions 1401 to 1500 (2002 – 2003)
- Lusaka Ceasefire AgreementLusaka Ceasefire AgreementThe Lusaka Ceasefire Agreement attempted to end the Second Congo War through a ceasefire, release of prisoners of war, and the deployment of an international peacekeeping force under the auspices of the United Nations...
- Second Congo WarSecond Congo WarThe Second Congo War, also known as Coltan War and the Great War of Africa, began in August 1998 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo , and officially ended in July 2003 when the Transitional Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo took power; however, hostilities continue to this...