Waziri Membe azungumza na Mabalozi na Wawakilishi wa Mashirika ya Kimataifa hapa nchini

Waziri wa Mambo ya Nje na Ushirikiano wa Kimataifa Bernard Membe (Mb.) akizungumza na Mabalozi na Wawakilishi wa Mashirika ya Kimataifa hapa nchini kuhusu masuala mbalimbali ya nchi ikiwa ni pamoja na nia ya kikundi cha uasi cha FDLR ya kuweka silaha chini na ziara ya Mabalozi na Wawakilishi hao Butiama. Wengine katika picha ni Naibu Waziri wa Mambo ya Nje na Ushirikiano wa Kimataifa, Mhe. Dkt. Mahadhi Juma Maalim (Mb.), kulia kwa Waziri Membe, Katibu Mkuu wa Wizara ya Mambo ya Nje Bw. John Haule (wa kwanza kulia), Mkuu wa Mabalozi na Balozi wa Jamhuri ya Kidemokrasia ya Congo (DRC) , Mhe. Juma Alfani Mpango (wa pili kulia) na Naibu Katibu Mkuu, Balozi Rajabu Gamaha (wa kwanza kushoto) . Kikao hicho kilifanyika katika Ukumbi wa Mikutano wa Kimataifa wa Julius Nyerere Jijini Dar es Salaam. Sehemu ya Mabalozi wakimsikiliza Mhe. Membe (hayupo pichani) Sehemu nyingine ya Mabalozi na Wawakilishi wa Mashirika ya Kimataifa nchini wakimsikiliza Mhe. Membe. Sehemu ya Wakuu wa Idara na Vitengo kutoka Wizara ya Mambo ya Nje na Ushirikiano wa Kimataifa wakiwa katika kikao kati ya Mabalozi wa Wawakilishi wa Mashirika ya Kimataifa nchini. Baadhi ya Wakurugenzi kutoka Wizara ya Mambo ya Nje na Ushirikiano wa Kimataifa na Balozi wa Sudan hapa nchini (kulia) wakifuatilia maelezo ya Mhe. Membe (hayupo pichani) Mabalozi, Wawakilishi wa Mashirika ya Kimataifa hapa nchini pamoja na Wakurugenzi kutoka Wizara ya Mambo ya Nje na Ushirikiano wa Kimataifa wakimsikiliza Mhe. Membe (hayupo pichani) Waziri Membe akisalimiana na Mwakilishi wa Papa Bennedict XVI hapa nchini, Balozi Francisco Montecillo Padilla mara baada ya kumaliza kikao. Mhe. Membe akisalimiana na Balozi wa Zambia hapa nchini, Mhe. Judith Kangoma Kapijimpanga. Mhe. Membe akitoa taarifa kwa Waandishi wa Habari kuhusu mazungumzo kati yake na Mabalozi na Wawakilishi wa Mashirika ya Kimataifa hapa nchini. Sehemu ya Waandishi wa Habari wakiwa kazini Mhe. Membe akiendelea kutoa taarifa kwa Waandishi wa Habari Meza kuu wakimsikiliza Mhe. Membe (Picha na Reginald Philip)

Hon. Membe urges international support to dissolve FDLR

The Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, Hon. Bernard Membe, has urged the international community to support implementation of the Angola Declaration on the dissolution of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR).

The declaration to dissolve the largest remaining negative forces in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) was adopted by a SADC/Great Lakes Region Ministerial meeting held in Luanda, Angola on July 2, 2014. Tanzania is a member of the SADC Organ Troika on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation.

Hon. Membe told diplomats accredited to Tanzania in Dar es Salaam today, that the Angola declaration was prompted by a letter to SADC by the FDLR, offering voluntary surrender.

“As we speak, 350 soldiers of FDLR have surrendered and are cantoned in a camp near Kinshasa,” the Minister told the foreign diplomats, adding that SADC found it logical and legally correct to accept the FDLR offer of surrender.

He said the process to dissolve the negative forces would involve five stages: Disarming the soldiers; demobilizing the group; repatriating the soldiers to Rwanda, reintegrating those meriting into the national army and resettling the rest.

This process required the participation of the United Nations, DRC government, Rwanda government, which should accept repatriation, reintegration and resettlement of FDLR troops; SADC and the international community, which would monitor implementation.

“The monitoring teams should have truly international character, and that is where your assistance is needed,” Hon. Membe told the diplomats.

He said the FDLR had been give six months from this month to comply with the dissolution plan failing which the UN combat force in DRC would be used to disable the negative force.

Hon. Membe said the acceptance of the surrender notice would not exonerate criminal elements among FDLR ranks from punishment. “If any members of the group are found to have committed crime they will be prosecuted,” he explained.

Meanwhile, Hon. Membe has expressed Tanzania’s disapproval of ongoing killing of civilians by Israeli air strikes in Gaza, which have so far claimed over 170 lives.

Addressing a press conference after the meeting with diplomats, the Minister called on Israel and Hamas to ceasefire immediately, adding that The United Nations Security Council should step in to restore harmony in the Middle East.

In another development, Hon. Membe announced that his Ministry was organizing a “World in Butiama” expedition in October, this year, which would take foreign diplomats accredited to Tanzania to the burial site of The Father of the Nation, Mwalimu Nyerere, to pay homage.