Sirte Peace Agreement

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Country/entity: Democratic Republic of Congo
Region: Africa (excl MENA)
Agreement name: Sirte Peace Agreement
Date: 18 Apr 1999
Agreement status: Multiparty signed/agreed
Interim arrangement: Yes
Agreement/conflict level: Intrastate/intrastate conflict
Congo Civil Wars (1996 - )
The overthrow of the long-term dictator Mobutu Sese Seko by a rebel Tutsi army backed by Uganda and Rwanda in 1997 acted as a catalyst for a war with regional dimensions, mainly fought in the eastern Kivu provinces. The conflict escalated in 1998, when President Laurent Kabila, then backed by Zimbabwean and Angolan troops, ordered Rwanda and Uganda to leave. After Kabila’s assassination in 2001, his son Joseph took over the presidency and won in the 2006 democratic elections.

In the eastern provinces, Tutsi-led militias, mainly organised in the National Congress for the Defense of the People (CNDP), fought the remnants of the Rwandan Hutu force FDLR, with further involvement of Rwandan and Ugandan troops. Other regionally operating militia groups, like the Lord’s Resistance Army from Northern Uganda, the so-called Mai Mai groups or short-lived guerrilla outfits like the March 23 Movement (M23) further contributed, and still contribute, to the complexity of the situation in eastern DRC.
Stage: Pre-negotiation/process
Conflict nature: Government
Peace process: DRC: Second Congo war process
Parties: (Signed) H.E. Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENI, President of the Republic of Uganda
(Signed) H.E. Idriss DEBY, President of the Republic of Chad
(Signed) H.E. Issaias AFEWORKI, President of the State of Eritrea
(Signed) H.E. Laurant Désiré KABILA, President of the Democratic Republic of Congo
Third parties: (Signed) Col. Muamar EL-GADDAFI, Leader of the Great El-Fateh Revolution and Coordinator of the Peace Process in the Great Lakes
Description: The Sirte Peace Agreement is linked to the Lusaka Peace Process. The Sirte Agreement is a declaration of commitment to the ongoing regional peace process and calls for a ceasefire.

Agreement document: CD_990418_SirteAgreement.pdf (opens in new tab) | Download PDF

Groups

Children/youth: No specific mention.
Disabled persons: No specific mention.
Elderly/age: No specific mention.
Migrant workers: No specific mention.
Racial/ethnic/national group: No specific mention.
Religious groups: No specific mention.
Indigenous people: No specific mention.
Other groups: No specific mention.
Refugees/displaced persons: No specific mention.
Social class: No specific mention.

Gender

Women, girls and gender: No specific mention.
Men and boys: No specific mention.
LGBTI: No specific mention.
Family: No specific mention.

State definition

Nature of state (general): Page 1:
...
The signatories to this Agreement have decided the following:
... 8. All parties pledge to refrain from taking actions to overthrow the regime in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
... 9. Respect the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of countries.
State configuration: No specific mention.
Self determination: No specific mention.
Referendum: No specific mention.
State symbols: No specific mention.
Independence/secession: No specific mention.
Accession/unification: No specific mention.
Border delimitation: No specific mention.
Cross-border provision: Page 1:
...
The signatories to this Agreement have decided the following:
1. Affirm the security and integrity of the political borders of all States.

Governance

Political institutions (new or reformed): No specific mention.
Elections: No specific mention.
Electoral commission: No specific mention.
Political parties reform: No specific mention.
Civil society: No specific mention.
Traditional/religious leaders: No specific mention.
Public administration: No specific mention.
Constitution: No specific mention.

Power sharing

Political power sharing: No specific mention.
Territorial power sharing: No specific mention.
Economic power sharing: No specific mention.
Military power sharing: No specific mention.

Human rights and equality

Human rights/RoL general: Page 1:
...
Realizing the tragedies of the awful massacres as a result of the armed strife in the region,

Page 1:
...
5. The signatories to this Agreement condemn all acts of violence and mass murder, and affirm the need to chase the killers, punish and disarm them.
Bill of rights/similar: No specific mention.
Treaty incorporation: Page 1:
...
On the basis of the Charter of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), of the first Cariso Summit in 1964 calling for respect of the pre-independence terms,
Civil and political rights: No specific mention.
Socio-economic rights: No specific mention.

Rights related issues

Citizenship: No specific mention.
Democracy: No specific mention.
Detention procedures: No specific mention.
Media and communication: No specific mention.
Mobility/access: No specific mention.
Protection measures: No specific mention.
Other: No specific mention.

Rights institutions

NHRI: No specific mention.
Regional or international human rights institutions: No specific mention.

Justice sector reform

Criminal justice and emergency law: No specific mention.
State of emergency provisions: No specific mention.
Judiciary and courts: No specific mention.
Prisons and detention: No specific mention.
Traditional Laws: No specific mention.

Socio-economic reconstruction

Development or socio-economic reconstruction: No specific mention.
National economic plan: No specific mention.
Natural resources: No specific mention.
International funds: No specific mention.
Business: No specific mention.
Taxation: No specific mention.
Banks: No specific mention.

Land, property and environment

Land reform/rights: No specific mention.
Pastoralist/nomadism rights: No specific mention.
Cultural heritage: No specific mention.
Environment: No specific mention.
Water or riparian rights or access: No specific mention.

Security sector

Security Guarantees: Page 1:
...
The signatories to this Agreement have decided the following:
1. Affirm the security and integrity of the political borders of all States.
2. Immediate cessation of hostilities to pave the way for dialogue and peaceful solution.
... 8. All parties pledge to refrain from taking actions to overthrow the regime in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Ceasefire: No specific mention.
Police: No specific mention.
Armed forces: Page 1:
...
4. Withdrawal of Ugandan and Rwandan troops will be timed with the arrival of the African peace forces.
DDR: Security sector→DDR→Demilitarisation provisions
Page 1:
...
5. The signatories to this Agreement condemn all acts of violence and mass murder, and affirm the need to chase the killers, punish and disarm them.
Intelligence services: No specific mention.
Parastatal/rebel and opposition group forces: No specific mention.
Withdrawal of foreign forces: Page 1:
...
4. Withdrawal of Ugandan and Rwandan troops will be timed with the arrival of the African peace forces.
...
7. Withdrawal of all foreign forces present in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as soon as a peace agreement is reached.
Corruption: No specific mention.
Crime/organised crime: No specific mention.
Drugs: No specific mention.
Terrorism: No specific mention.

Transitional justice

Transitional justice general: No specific mention.
Amnesty/pardon: No specific mention.
Courts: No specific mention.
Mechanism: No specific mention.
Prisoner release: No specific mention.
Vetting: No specific mention.
Victims: No specific mention.
Missing persons: No specific mention.
Reparations: No specific mention.
Reconciliation: No specific mention.

Implementation

UN signatory: No specific mention.
Other international signatory: No specific mention.
Referendum for agreement: No specific mention.
International mission/force/similar: Page 1:
...
3. Deployment of neutral African peacekeeping forces in the area where there are troops of Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi inside the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
4. Withdrawal of Ugandan and Rwandan troops will be timed with the arrival of the African peace forces.
Enforcement mechanism: No specific mention.
Related cases: No specific mention.
Source: http://peacemaker.un.org/

The Peace Agreement

On the basis of the Charter of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), of the first Cariso Summit in 1964 calling for respect of the pre-independence terms,

In view of the military operations in the Great Lakes region leading to thedestabilization of peace and security within various States,

Opening the door before foreign interventions, which hinder the aims of thecontinent towards development and integration,

Out of the Sirte mini-Summit on 30 September 1998 relative to the currentconflict in the Great Lakes region,

Confirming the Lusaka Summit held from 13 to 16 January 1999, the precedingmeetings and the achieved results aimed at finding a lasting, peaceful solutionto the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo,

Realizing the tragedies of the awful massacres as a result of the armedstrife in the region,

The signatories to this Agreement have decided the following:

1. Affirm the security and integrity of the political borders of allStates.

2. Immediate cessation of hostilities to pave the way for dialogue andpeaceful solution.

3. Deployment of neutral African peacekeeping forces in the area wherethere are troops of Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi inside the DemocraticRepublic of the Congo.

4. Withdrawal of Ugandan and Rwandan troops will be timed with thearrival of the African peace forces.

5. The signatories to this Agreement condemn all acts of violence andmass murder, and affirm the need to chase the killers, punish anddisarm them.

6. Encourage the Democratic Republic of the Congo to initiate a nationaldialogue for all parties.

7. Withdrawal of all foreign forces present in the Democratic Republic ofthe Congo as soon as a peace agreement is reached.

8. All parties pledge to refrain from taking actions to overthrow theregime in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

9. Respect the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs ofcountries.

10. Stress the continuity of the leading role of the brother leader aspeace coordinator in the Great Lakes region, in creating the climateand mechanism, to liaise with President Shiloba and to accelerate theprocess of peace.

DONE at Sirte on 18/04/1429 (1999).

(Signed) H.E. Yoweri Kaguta MUSEVENIPresident of the Republic of Uganda

(Signed) H.E. Issaias AFEWORKIPresident of the State of Eritrea

(Signed) H.E.President of

(Signed) H.E.President ofof the Congo

Idriss DEBYthe Republi of Chad

Laurant Désiré KABILAthe Democratic Republic

(Signed) Col.

Muamar EL-GADDAFI Leader of the Great El-Fateh Revolution and Coordinator of the Peace Process in the Great Lakes