Source: Agencies 2013/11/21
China will continue to support the positive and constructive role of the UN Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA) in maintaining peace, stability and development in the region, said a Chinese envoy to the UN Wednesday.
China's Permanent Representative to the UN Liu Jieyi, who is also rotating president of the Security Council for this month, made the remarks at an open Security Council meeting on the work of the UNOCA and the issue of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), a Ugandan rebel group.
"Peace and stability in the central African region still faces many challenges," said Liu, expressing concerns over the continued volatility in the Central African Republic (CAR) and its serious humanitarian situation while calling for dialogues.
On situations of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liu said that positive progress has been made recently and China encourages the DRC and countries in the Great Lake region to continue strengthening cooperation and work together towards restoring a lasting peace, stability and development.
Liu also called on relevant countries in the region to jointly fight piracy in the Gulf of Guinea and terrorist and extremist forces in the Sahel region under the leadership and coordination of the UN and the regional organizations.
China strongly condemns the LRA which has continued harassing and attacking civilians in several countries and calls upon the group to immediately stop its illegal activities, proceed with and take part in the programs of disarmament, demobilization, reintegration, repatriation and resettlement, said Liu.
For decades the Ugandan rebel LRA, notorious for kidnapping and mutilations, has been active across borders of Uganda, the DRC, CAR and Sudan.
China commends the efforts by regional countries to fight the LRA and welcomes that the UN has taken initiative to cooperate with the African Union in order to fight the rebel group, said Liu, who said the UNOCA, which was inaugurated more than two years ago, has made tremendous efforts in terms of coordination and facilitation in order to maintain regional peace and stability and to fight the LRA.