Kinshasa, 23 March 2009 - Alan Doss, Special Representative of the UN Secretary General in the Democratic Republic of Congo, assisted today 20 March with the signature in Goma of peace agreements between the Congolese government and the National congress for the Defence of the People (CNDP), as well as between the government and other armed groups in North and South Kivu.

The ceremony was held in the presence of the co-facilitators, Olusegun Obasanjo, ex Nigerian president and Special Envoy of the UN Secretary General for the Great Lakes region, and Benjamin Mkapa, former Tanzanian President, named by the African Union, both of whom signed as witnesses.

Representatives of the international facilitation were also present at the ceremony. Brief speeches were made by North Kivu Governor Julien Paluku, the principal negotiators of the government and the CNDP, the Minister for regional and international co-operation Raymond Tshibanda, and President of the CNDP Desiré Kamanzi, as well as the co-facilitators.

All the speakers underlined the importance of these agreements in the efforts for peace in eastern DRC.

The agreements envisage the end of hostilities, the transformation of armed groups into political parties, the return of displaced people and refugees to their homes and the integration, into national political life, of the executives of all armed groups.

After the ceremony, Special Representative Alan Doss said he was pleased with the agreements. He stressed that "what counts today is the implementation."

He also underlined the need for quick execution of the agreements, in order to benefit from the dynamics which they have created.

He promised that MONUC "will accompany the process in close cooperation with all the actors implied for its success. This agreement must be used as tool to put an end to impunity and the suffering of the population."

"The populations of eastern DRC, especially women and children, have for too long been the victims of armed conflicts, displacement and sexual violence. If they are respected these agreements can have an extremely positive impact on the life of the populations of both Kivu provinces," he added.