Kinshasa, June 30 2009 - On the 49th anniversary of the independence of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Alan Doss, Special Representative of the UN Secretary General in the DRC and head of the United Nations mission in the country, congratulated the Congolese people and their leaders on behalf of all UN staff.

"On this solemn day, I would like to congratulate the leaders of the DRC for their efforts and perseverance to maintain the course and to lead the peace process to a successful end."

"I would like to reaffirm the commitment of the United Nations agencies, funds and MONUC to the entire Congolese people, their elected leaders and democratic institutions, to support and accompany them in their efforts to ensure the peace and the development of their country," he added.

Since 1999, the UN Security Council has continued to support the peace process and the democratic rebirth of the country. MONUC has accompanied the DRC since the Lusaka Agreement. It helped to reunify the country and accompanied it during and after the Agreements of Sun City; it was beside the country during all the Transition and until the holding of elections which set up the first institutions of the Third Republic.

MONUC will continue to work with its partners, Congolese and international, to face the challenges that remain.