United Nations Security Council Resolution 1291
Encyclopedia
United Nations
Security Council Resolution
1291, adopted unanimously on February 24, 2000, after recalling resolutions 1234
(1999), 1258
(1999), 1273
(1999) and 1279
(1999) on situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
, the Council expanded the United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo
(MONUC) to include additional tasks and extended its mandate until August 31, 2000.
over the natural resource
s in its territory, particularly as there were reports of illegal exploitation of its assets. It called for the withdrawal of foreign troops, the disarmament
of armed groups, reaffirmed its support for the Lusaka Ceasefire Agreement
and stressed that the authority of the state had to be restored throughout the country.
Phase II of the deployment of MONUC depended on respect for the Ceasefire Agreement, demobilisation
and assurances about the safety and freedom of movement
of United Nations personnel. There were also serious concerns about human rights
violations and the limited access for aid workers to refugee
s.
. The Council authorised the expansion of up to 5,337 troops in MONUC including up to 500 military observers. The expanded mission had the following mandate
:
monitor implementation of the Ceasefire Agreement; maintain continuous liaison with the field headquarters of all the parties' military forces; develop an action plan for the implementation of the Ceasefire Agreement within 45 days; work to obtain the release of prisoners of war
; supervise and verify disengagement and redeployment of forces; monitor compliance with the Ceasefire Agreement with regards to weapon
ry, ammunition
and materiel
to armed groups; facilitate humanitarian assistance
and human rights monitoring; co-operate with the Facilitator of Dialogue; deploy mine action experts and carry out mine action activities.
Acting under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter
, MONUC was authorised to take actions to ensure its freedom of movement and protect civilians from imminent threat. The Council condemned massacres and was concerned at illicit arms flows and illegal exploitation of resources in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Finally, the Secretary-General Kofi Annan
was requested to report every 60 days on the implementation of the current resolution and continue to plan for additional MONUC deployments.
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"....
1291, adopted unanimously on February 24, 2000, after recalling resolutions 1234
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1234
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1234, adopted unanimously on April 9, 1999, after expressing concern at the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Council demanded an immediate halt to hostilities in the region, a withdrawal of foreign forces and the re-establishment of...
(1999), 1258
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1258
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1258, adopted unanimously on August 6, 1999, after reaffirming Resolution 1234 on situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Council authorised the deployment of military liaison personnel to the capitals of the signatories of the Lusaka...
(1999), 1273
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1273
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1273, adopted unanimously on November 5, 1999, after reaffirming resolutions 1234 and 1258 on situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Council extended the deployment of the 90 military liaison personnel as part of efforts to assist the...
(1999) and 1279
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1279
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1279, adopted unanimously on November 30, 1999, after recalling resolutions 1234 , 1258 and 1273 on situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Council established the United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo for an initial...
(1999) on 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 expanded 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) to include additional tasks and extended its mandate until August 31, 2000.
Observations
The Security Council reaffirmed the Democratic Republic of the Congo's sovereigntySovereignty
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...
over the 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 in its territory, particularly as there were reports of illegal exploitation of its assets. It called for the withdrawal of foreign troops, 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...
of armed groups, reaffirmed its support for the Lusaka Ceasefire Agreement
Lusaka Ceasefire Agreement
The 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...
and stressed that the authority of the state had to be restored throughout the country.
Phase II of the deployment of MONUC depended on respect for the Ceasefire Agreement, 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 assurances about the safety and freedom of movement
Freedom of movement
Freedom of movement, mobility rights or the right to travel is a human right concept that the constitutions of numerous states respect...
of United Nations personnel. There were also serious concerns about 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...
violations and the limited access for aid workers to refugee
Refugee
A refugee is a person who outside her country of origin or habitual residence because she has suffered persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or because she is a member of a persecuted 'social group'. Such a person may be referred to as an 'asylum seeker' until...
s.
Acts
All parties were reminded of their obligations under the Ceasefire Agreement signed in LusakaLusaka
Lusaka is the capital and largest city of Zambia. It is located in the southern part of the central plateau, at an elevation of about 1,300 metres . It has a population of about 1.7 million . It is a commercial centre as well as the centre of government, and the four main highways of Zambia head...
. The Council authorised the expansion of up to 5,337 troops in MONUC including up to 500 military observers. The expanded mission had the following mandate
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....
:
monitor implementation of the Ceasefire Agreement; maintain continuous liaison with the field headquarters of all the parties' military forces; develop an action plan for the implementation of the Ceasefire Agreement within 45 days; work to obtain the release of prisoners of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
; supervise and verify disengagement and redeployment of forces; monitor compliance with the Ceasefire Agreement with regards to 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...
ry, ammunition
Ammunition
Ammunition is a generic term derived from the French language la munition which embraced all material used for war , but which in time came to refer specifically to gunpowder and artillery. The collective term for all types of ammunition is munitions...
and materiel
Materiel
Materiel is a term used in English to refer to the equipment and supplies in military and commercial supply chain management....
to armed groups; facilitate humanitarian assistance
Humanitarian aid
Humanitarian aid is material or logistical assistance provided for humanitarian purposes, typically in response to humanitarian crises including natural disaster and man-made disaster. The primary objective of humanitarian aid is to save lives, alleviate suffering, and maintain human dignity...
and human rights monitoring; co-operate with the Facilitator of Dialogue; deploy mine action experts and carry out mine action activities.
Acting under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter
Chapter 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...
, MONUC was authorised to take actions to ensure its freedom of movement and protect civilians from imminent threat. The Council condemned massacres and was concerned at illicit arms flows and illegal exploitation of resources in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
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 report every 60 days on the implementation of the current resolution and continue to plan for additional MONUC deployments.
See also
- List of United Nations Security Council Resolutions 1201 to 1300 (1998 – 2000)
- 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...