April 2013 News 24: DEAL SIGNED FOR BRINGING PEACE AND STABILITY TO THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO

DEAL SIGNED FOR BRINGING PEACE AND STABILITY TO THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF   THE CONGO

[The deals offers hope for the strife-torn republic in Central Africa]

Regional leaders signed in Addis Ababa a deal on February 24, 2013 aimed at bringing peace and stability to the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) after years of unrest. Eleven countries in the Great Lakes region-including those accused of stoking trouble by backing rebel groups-signed the accord at a ceremony in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa in the presence of United Nations (U.N.) chief Ban Ki-Moon.

The Presidents of the DR Congo, South Africa, Mozambique, Rwanda, Congo and Tanzania were present for the signing, along with  envoys from Uganda, Angola, Burundi, the Central African Republic (CAR) and Zambia.

The accord calls for regional countries to refrain from interfering in each other's affairs and aims to encourage the reform of weak institutions in the DR Congo, central Africa's largest country.

It could also lead to creation of a special U.N. 'intervention brigade' in eastern DR Congo to combat rebel groups as well as political efforts. The latest surge in violence was in 2012 and culminated in the rebel March 23 movement (M23) force briefly seizing the key town of Goma last November.

Rwandan President Paul Kagame, whose country is accused of backing the M23 rebels, said he wanted to see "peace, security and stability emerge".

The DR Congo is the biggest and most populous country in Central Africa and has enormous but largely untapped potential mineral wealth including copper, oil, diamonds, gold, silver, zinc and uranium.

More about Democratic Republic of the Congo

Official name: Republique Democratique du Congo (Democratic Republic of the Congo).

Form of government: Unitary multiparty republic with two legislative bodies (senate [108] National Assembly [500]).

Head of the state and Government: President assisted by Prime Minister.

Capital: Kinhasa.

Official Language: French.

Official Religion: None.

Monetary Unit: Congo franc (FC); valuation (since Sept.1 2010) 1 US$= FC. 890.00 and 1 Pound= FC 1375