United Nations Security Council Resolution 1596
Encyclopedia
United Nations
Security Council Resolution
1596, adopted unanimously on April 18, 2005, after recalling all previous resolutions on the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
, including resolutions 1493
(2003), 1533
(2004), 1552
(2004), 1565
(2004) and 1592
(2005), the Council expanded the arms embargo
to include all recipients of weapons in the country, and imposed a travel ban and asset freeze on those violating the embargo.
The resolution was drafted by France
.
in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, particularly in North and South Kivu and Ituri Province, while at the same time welcoming that some of the groups had began submitting an inventory of weapon
s and materiel
in their possession. It expressed readiness to review provisions within resolutions 918
(1994), 997
(1995) and 1011
(1995). The Council also condemned the flow of weapons into and within the country.
Meanwhile, the Council recalled the need for the transitional government to implement the integration of the armed forces. It welcomed political efforts to bring about peace and stability in the Democratic Republic of the Congo by the Secretary-General, African Union
and others.
, the Council expanded the arms embargo against armed groups and militias to all recipients of weapons in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, except the military and police that have completed integration, and non-lethal equipment destined for humanitarian or protective use. The United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo
(MONUC) was requested to continue monitoring operations in North and South Kivu and Ituri provinces. Parties in those regions were urged to adhere to the disarmament
, demobilisation
and reintegration
of foreign and Congolese ex-combatants.
Meanwhile, Burundi
, Rwanda
, Uganda
and other states in the African Great Lakes
region were called upon to monitor air traffic and prevent aircraft flying in contravention to the Chicago Convention
, with the Congolese government monitoring airfields in the provinces of North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri. Countries bordering the three provinces were asked to increase border control
s.
The resolution also emphasised that individuals identified by a Committee to be acting in violation of the sanctions were to have their assets frozen and a travel ban imposed upon them. States in the region had to report within 45 days on measures they had taken to implement the Security Council's demands. Finally, the Secretary-General Kofi Annan
was requested to re-establish an expert group to monitor the implementation of the sanctions for a period until July 31, 2005.
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"....
1596, adopted unanimously on April 18, 2005, after recalling all 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...
, including resolutions 1493
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1493
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1493, adopted unanimously on July 28, 2003, after recalling all resolutions on the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Council extended the mandate of the United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo until July 30, 2004...
(2003), 1533
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1533
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1533, adopted unanimously on March 12, 2004, after recalling all previous resolutions on the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Council established a Committee to monitor an arms embargo imposed on all foreign and Congolese forces in...
(2004), 1552
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1552
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1552, adopted unanimously on July 27, 2004, after recalling all previous resolutions on the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, including resolutions 1493 and 1533 , the Council extended the arms embargo against movements and armed groups...
(2004), 1565
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1565
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1565, adopted unanimously on October 1, 2004, after recalling all previous resolutions on the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Council extended the mandate of the United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo until March...
(2004) and 1592
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1592
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1592, adopted unanimously on March 30, 2005, after recalling all previous resolutions on the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, including Resolution 1565 , the Council extended the mandate of the United Nations Mission in the Democratic...
(2005), the Council expanded the arms embargo
Arms embargo
An arms embargo is an embargo that applies to weaponry. It may also include "dual use" items. An arms embargo may serve one or more purposes:# to signal disapproval of behavior by a certain actor,# to maintain neutral standing in an ongoing conflict, or...
to include all recipients of weapons in the country, and imposed a travel ban and asset freeze on those violating the embargo.
The resolution was drafted by France
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...
.
Observations
In the preamble of the resolution, the Security Council expressed concern at the presence of armed groups and militiaMilitia
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...
in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, particularly in North and South Kivu and Ituri Province, while at the same time welcoming that some of the groups had began submitting an inventory of weapon
Weapon
A weapon, arm, or armament is a tool or instrument used with the aim of causing damage or harm to living beings or artificial structures or systems...
s and materiel
Materiel
Materiel is a term used in English to refer to the equipment and supplies in military and commercial supply chain management....
in their possession. It expressed readiness to review provisions within resolutions 918
United Nations Security Council Resolution 918
United Nations Security Council Resolution 918, adopted without a vote on May 17, 1994, after reaffirming all resolutions on the situation in Rwanda, particularly resolutions 872 , 909 and 912 , the Council expressed its alarm and condemnation at the continuing large-scale violence in the country...
(1994), 997
United Nations Security Council Resolution 997
United Nations Security Council Resolution 997, adopted unanimously on June 9, 1995, after reaffirming all resolutions on the situation in Rwanda, particularly resolutions 872 , 912 , 918 , 925 , 955 and 965 , the Council extended the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda ...
(1995) and 1011
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1011
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1011, adopted unanimously on August 16, 1995, after recalling resolutions 918 , 997 and 1005 on the situation in Rwanda, the Council suspended the arms embargo against the Government of Rwanda....
(1995). The Council also condemned the flow of weapons into and within the country.
Meanwhile, the Council recalled the need for the transitional government to implement the integration of the armed forces. It welcomed political efforts to bring about peace and stability in the Democratic Republic of the Congo by the Secretary-General, African Union
African Union
The African Union is a union consisting of 54 African states. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established on 9 July 2002, the AU was formed as a successor to the Organisation of African Unity...
and others.
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 expanded the arms embargo against armed groups and militias to all recipients of weapons in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, except the military and police that have completed integration, and non-lethal equipment destined for humanitarian or protective use. 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) was requested to continue monitoring operations in North and South Kivu and Ituri provinces. Parties in those regions were urged to adhere to the disarmament
Disarmament
Disarmament is the act of reducing, limiting, or abolishing weapons. Disarmament generally refers to a country's military or specific type of weaponry. Disarmament is often taken to mean total elimination of weapons of mass destruction, such as nuclear arms...
, demobilisation
Demobilization
Demobilization is the process of standing down a nation's armed forces from combat-ready status. This may be as a result of victory in war, or because a crisis has been peacefully resolved and military force will not be necessary...
and reintegration
Social integration
Social integration, in sociology and other social sciences, is the movement of minority groups such as ethnic minorities, refugees and underprivileged sections of a society into the mainstream of societies...
of foreign and Congolese ex-combatants.
Meanwhile, Burundi
Burundi
Burundi , officially the Republic of Burundi , is a landlocked country in the Great Lakes region of Eastern Africa bordered by Rwanda to the north, Tanzania to the east and south, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west. Its capital is Bujumbura...
, 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...
, 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...
and other states in the African Great Lakes
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...
region were called upon to monitor air traffic and prevent aircraft flying in contravention to the Chicago Convention
Convention on International Civil Aviation
The Convention on International Civil Aviation, also known as the Chicago Convention, established the International Civil Aviation Organization , a specialized agency of the United Nations charged with coordinating and regulating international air travel...
, with the Congolese government monitoring airfields in the provinces of North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri. Countries bordering the three provinces were asked to increase border control
Border control
Border controls are measures used by a country to monitor or regulate its borders.The control of the flow of many people, animals and goods across a border may be controlled by government Customs services. Security is enforced by various kinds of Border Guards and Coast Guards...
s.
The resolution also emphasised that individuals identified by a Committee to be acting in violation of the sanctions were to have their assets frozen and a travel ban imposed upon them. States in the region had to report within 45 days on measures they had taken to implement the Security Council's demands. Finally, the Secretary-General Kofi Annan
Kofi Annan
Kofi Atta Annan is a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the UN from 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2006...
was requested to re-establish an expert group to monitor the implementation of the sanctions for a period until July 31, 2005.
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 1501 to 1600 (2003 – 2005)
- 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...