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Verification/Monitoring Mechanism: Agreement on Ending Hostilities in the Republic of Congo

Implementations

Verification/Monitoring Mechanism – 2000

The Agreement on Ending Hostilities in the Republic of Congo (29 December 1999) sought to end armed conflict throughout the Republic of Congo and particularly in the Bouenza, Pool, Lekoumou, Niari, and Kouilou regions. All parties to the accord, in this regard, agreed to give up their arms and establish the Monitoring Commission for the Agreements on Ceasefire and Ending Hostilities, responsible for monitoring and verifying the stipulations of the implementation of ceasefires in conflict zones. The chairman of the Monitoring Commission was appointed by the international mediator, a position filed by Gabon’s President, Omar Bongo.

To implement the provisions of the accord, parties to the conflict reached an agreement on the modality, function, and composition of the Monitoring Commission on 10 January 2000.

On 14 February 2000, four different presidential decrees were announced concerning: (1) the creation, organization, and operation of the Monitoring Commission for the Agreements on Ceasefire and Ending Hostilities (decree 2000-4); (2) the organization and operation of the Coordination Committee General Secretariat of the Monitoring Commission (decree 2000-5); (3) the appointment of members of the Executive Committee of the Monitoring Commission (decree 2000-6); and (4) the appointment of members of the General Secretariat of the Monitoring Commission (2007).¹ The Monitoring Commission had a Coordination Committee and an Executive Committee (Article 3, Decree 2000-4). The Monitoring Commission had an international observer in the Executive Committee (Article 9, Decree 2000-4), which was organized into several specialized working committees, including committees for the collection of weapons and war ammunition (Article 10, Decree 2000-4). The decree also established regional committees throughout the national territory that also included international observers (Article 15 and 17, Decree 2000-4). The Executive Committee was chaired by General Gilbert Mokoki.² Louis Gaston Matanghoye was the international observer in the Executive Committee.³ However, it is not clear whether General Gilbert Mokoki was appointed by an international facilitator. General Mokoki belonged to the High Command of the Security Forces of the Republic of Congo.

“Decrét Portant Création, Organisation et Fonctionnement du Comité de Suivi Des Accords de Cessez-le-Feu et de Cessation des Hostilités en République du Congo,” Présidence de La République, (2000—4, 2000-5, 2000-6, 2000-7), February 14, 2000.
“International Meeting on the Republic of the Congo: A Country in Transition,” ReliefWeb, July 6, 2000, accessed February 23, 2012, http://reliefweb.int/node/66683.
“Report on Ending Hostilities in The Republic of Congo,” Public International Law & Policy Group, accessed February 17, 2012, http://publicinternationallawandpolicygroup.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/….

Verification/Monitoring Mechanism – 2001

No developments observed this year.

Verification/Monitoring Mechanism – 2002

The effectiveness of the monitoring mechanisms, which involved international observers, was difficult to gauge as the monitoring mechanisms were dominated by the Security Forces of the Republic of Congo. Two of the primary responsibilities of the monitoring mechanisms were to collect weapons and demobilize combatants; these efforts were not very successful. The Republic of Congo was also a part of the Multi-Country Demobilization and Reintegration Program (MDRP) launched in 2002. It was expected that some 30,000 ex-combatants would benefit from reintegration, some 11,000 combatants would be demobilized, and some 11,000 would be reintegrated. According to a July 2010 report from the MDRP, only 15,179 benefited from reintegration in the Republic of Congo.¹

“MDRP Final Report. Overview of Program Achievements – MDRP Secretariat – July 2010,” MDRP, 2010, accessed February 28, 2012, http://www.mdrp.org/doc_rep.htm.