China calls for int'l support for African Great Lakes region

UNITED NATIONS, April 24 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Wednesday called on the international community to help promote peace, security and development in the African Great Lakes region.

Despite efforts by regional countries, the fragile security situation, escalating violence, as well as the grim humanitarian situation in the Great Lakes region are truly worrying. The UN Security Council and the international community as a whole should devote more attention and investment to the region and provide more support, said Fu Cong, China's permanent representative to the United Nations.

First, there must be an immediate cessation of hostilities and de-escalation of the situation, he told a Security Council meeting on the Great Lakes Region.

China applauds the leaders of Kenya, Angola, and South Sudan for their good offices. However, the persistent turmoil in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) will erode the confidence of the parties in advancing the peace process and jeopardize hard-won results, he said.

China hopes that all parties will seize the opportunity of the upcoming summit of the Regional Oversight Mechanism for the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the DRC and the region to reaffirm their solemn commitments to respecting sovereignty and territorial integrity, non-interference in each other's internal affairs, and not supporting armed groups, said Fu.

"We encourage regional countries to implement the Luanda and Nairobi processes, and urge armed groups to immediately cease violence. Differences should be resolved through dialogue, and the use of military means should be avoided," he added.

Second, the international community should support regional efforts to maintain common security, said Fu.

China commends the efforts of regional countries to strengthen their cooperation in defense-related matters and border management. China supports efforts to promote disarmament, demobilization and reintegration as well as peacekeeping carried out by Uganda, Burundi, and the Southern African Development Community in eastern DRC. The international community should continue to support efforts to solve African problems in African ways, and support the improvement of relations among regional countries, he said.

Third, it is vital to promote common development and build a solid foundation for peace, said Fu.

Poverty and under-development are the root causes of the protracted unrest in the Great Lakes region. The international community should help regional countries address development challenges, scale up humanitarian assistance, and build up national capacity for growth, with a view to promoting peace through development.

China has always been a staunch supporter of Africa's collective self-empowerment and integration process. China remains committed to accompanying the continent on its path toward modernization and stands ready to work with the rest of the international community to continuously build up Africa's capacity for independent development, support the continent in accelerating its modernization, and promote regional peace, stability, development, and prosperity, he said.