United Nations Security Council Resolution 1653
Encyclopedia
United Nations
Security Council Resolution
1653, adopted unanimously on January 27, 2006, after recalling previous resolutions concerning the situations in the African Great Lakes region
, Democratic Republic of the Congo
and Burundi
, particularly resolutions 1625
(2005), 1631
(2005), 1649
(2005) and 1650
(2005), the Council addressed the stability of the Great Lakes region in Africa
.
Foreign minister
s from more than 10 countries participated in the Security Council discussion prior to the vote.
, sovereignty
, unity, good-neighbourliness, non-interference and co-operation among states in the Great Lakes region. It condemned the 1994 Rwandan Genocide
and subsequent conflicts in the region which resulted in widespread violations of human rights
and international humanitarian law
.
Meanwhile, Council members were aware of the connection between the illegal exploitation of natural resource
s and arms trafficking in fuelling the conflicts in the Great Lakes region, particularly the Democratic Republic of the Congo. There was concern at the impact of the conflicts on the humanitarian situation throughout the region and the implications on the region's security and stability, which was apparent in cases of cross-border movements by armed groups such as the Lord's Resistance Army
, which had resulted in the deaths and displacement of people in northern Uganda
, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Sudan
.
The resolution welcomed dialogue between countries in the region, and recalling previous resolutions which called for an international conference on peace and security in the African Great Lakes, noted that such a conference had taken place in Dar es Salaam
, Sudan in November 2004. At the same time, regional achievements were praised, including a new democratic
government in Burundi
and democratic transition in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) and United Nations Operation in Burundi
(ONUB) were commended for their efforts.
, the rule of law
and democratic practices. Furthermore, the Council requested the concerned countries to bring those responsible for violations of human rights to justice.
The text of the resolution condemned the actvities of armed groups and militia
in the region, including the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda
, Palipehutu and Lord's Resistance Army. There was a need for disarmament
, demobilisation
and reintegration
of ex-combatants, according to the Council. It emphasised the need to protect civilians and humanitarian workers from attacks
and put an end to attacks from armed groups; the Secretary-General was asked to provide recommendations on how best to support efforts in this regard.
The resolution concluded by asking states not to allow their territory to be used by armed groups for attacks on others, to tackle the cross-border movements of arms and armed groups and to co-operate in the repatriation of foreign groups.
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"....
1653, adopted unanimously on January 27, 2006, after recalling previous resolutions concerning the situations in the African 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...
, 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...
and 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...
, particularly resolutions 1625
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1625
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1625, adopted unanimously at the 2005 World Summit on September 14, 2005, the Council adopted a declaration on the role of the Security Council in conflict prevention, particularly in Africa where a large number of armed conflicts were taking...
(2005), 1631
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1631
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1631, adopted unanimously on October 17, 2005, after recalling Chapter VIII of the United Nations Charter, the Council addressed co-operation between the United Nations and regional organisations in the maintenance of international peace and security.The...
(2005), 1649
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1649
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1649, adopted unanimously on December 21, 2005, after recalling all previous resolutions on the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, including resolutions 1533 , 1565 , 1592 , 1596 and 1616 , 1621 and 1628 , the Council extended and...
(2005) and 1650
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1650
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1650, adopted unanimously on December 21, 2005, after recalling Resolution 1545 regarding the situation in Burundi, the Council extended the mandate of the United Nations Operation in Burundi until July 1, 2006.-Observations:The Security Council praised...
(2005), the Council addressed the stability of the Great Lakes region in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
.
Foreign minister
Foreign minister
A Minister of Foreign Affairs, or foreign minister, is a cabinet minister who helps form the foreign policy of a sovereign state. The foreign minister is often regarded as the most senior ministerial position below that of the head of government . It is often granted to the deputy prime minister in...
s from more than 10 countries participated in the Security Council discussion prior to the vote.
Observations
In the preamble of the resolution, the Security Council reaffirmed the principles of territorial integrityTerritorial integrity
Territorial integrity is the principle under international law that nation-states should not attempt to promote secessionist movements or to promote border changes in other nation-states...
, sovereignty
Sovereignty
Sovereignty is the quality of having supreme, independent authority over a geographic area, such as a territory. It can be found in a power to rule and make law that rests on a political fact for which no purely legal explanation can be provided...
, unity, good-neighbourliness, non-interference and co-operation among states in the Great Lakes region. It condemned the 1994 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...
and subsequent conflicts in the region which resulted in widespread violations of 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...
and 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...
.
Meanwhile, Council members were aware of the connection between the illegal exploitation of natural resource
Natural resource
Natural resources occur naturally within environments that exist relatively undisturbed by mankind, in a natural form. A natural resource is often characterized by amounts of biodiversity and geodiversity existent in various ecosystems....
s and arms trafficking in fuelling the conflicts in the Great Lakes region, particularly the Democratic Republic of the Congo. There was concern at the impact of the conflicts on the humanitarian situation throughout the region and the implications on the region's security and stability, which was apparent in cases of cross-border movements by armed groups such as the Lord's Resistance Army
Lord's Resistance Army
The Lord's Resistance Army insurgency is an ongoing guerrilla campaign waged since 1987 by the Lord's Resistance Army rebel group, operating mainly in northern Uganda, but also in South Sudan and eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo...
, which had resulted in the deaths and displacement of people in northern 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...
, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
.
The resolution welcomed dialogue between countries in the region, and recalling previous resolutions which called for an international conference on peace and security in the African Great Lakes, noted that such a conference had taken place in Dar es Salaam
Dar es Salaam
Dar es Salaam , formerly Mzizima, is the largest city in Tanzania. It is also the country's richest city and a regionally important economic centre. Dar es Salaam is actually an administrative province within Tanzania, and consists of three local government areas or administrative districts: ...
, Sudan in November 2004. At the same time, regional achievements were praised, including a new democratic
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
government in 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...
and democratic transition in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) and United Nations Operation in Burundi
United Nations Operation in Burundi
The United Nations Operation in Burundi was established by United Nations Security Council in May 2004 to ensure the continuation of the Arusha Peace and Reconciliation Agreement signed on 28 August 2000....
(ONUB) were commended for their efforts.
Acts
The Security Council urged countries in the region to continue to promote good relations, peaceful co-existence and the resolution of disputes. The countries were also urged to respect human rights, including those of women and children, and to promote good governanceGood governance
Good governance is an indeterminate term used in development literature to describe how public institutions conduct public affairs and manage public resources in order to guarantee the realization of human rights. Governance describes "the process of decision-making and the process by which...
, the rule of law
Rule of law
The rule of law, sometimes called supremacy of law, is a legal maxim that says that governmental decisions should be made by applying known principles or laws with minimal discretion in their application...
and democratic practices. Furthermore, the Council requested the concerned countries to bring those responsible for violations of human rights to justice.
The text of the resolution condemned the actvities of armed groups and 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...
in the region, including the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda
Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda
The Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda is the primary remnant Rwandan Hutu Power rebel group in the east of the of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is often referred to as simply the FDLR after its original French name: the Forces démocratiques de libération du Rwanda...
, Palipehutu and Lord's Resistance Army. There was a need for 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 ex-combatants, according to the Council. It emphasised the need to protect civilians and humanitarian workers from attacks
Attacks on humanitarian workers
Humanitarian aid workers belonging to United Nations organisations, PVOs / NGOs or the Red Cross / Red Crescent have traditionally enjoyed both international legal protection, and de facto immunity from attack by belligerent parties. However, attacks on humanitarian workers have occasionally...
and put an end to attacks from armed groups; the Secretary-General was asked to provide recommendations on how best to support efforts in this regard.
The resolution concluded by asking states not to allow their territory to be used by armed groups for attacks on others, to tackle the cross-border movements of arms and armed groups and to co-operate in the repatriation of foreign groups.
See also
- List of conflicts in Africa
- List of United Nations Security Council Resolutions 1601 to 1700 (2005 – 2006)