United Nations Security Council Resolution 1291


United Nations Security Council resolution 1291, adopted unanimously on 24 February 2000, after recalling resolutions 1234, 1258, 1273 and 1279 on situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Council expanded the United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo to include additional tasks and extended its mandate until 31 August 2000.

Resolution

Observations

The Security Council reaffirmed the Democratic Republic of the Congo's sovereignty over the natural resources in its territory, particularly as there were reports of illegal exploitation of its assets. It called for the withdrawal of foreign troops, the disarmament of armed groups, reaffirmed its support for the Lusaka Ceasefire Agreement and stressed that the authority of the state had to be restored throughout the country.
Phase II of the deployment of MONUC depended on respect for the Ceasefire Agreement, demobilisation and assurances about the safety and freedom of movement of United Nations personnel. There were also serious concerns about human rights violations and the limited access for aid workers to refugees.

Acts

All parties were reminded of their obligations under the Ceasefire Agreement signed in Lusaka. The Council authorised the expansion of up to 5,337 troops in MONUC including up to 500 military observers. The expanded mission had the following mandate:
Acting under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter, MONUC was authorised to take actions to ensure its freedom of movement and protect civilians from imminent threat. The Council condemned s and was concerned at illicit arms flows and illegal exploitation of resources in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Finally, the Secretary-General Kofi Annan was requested to report every 60 days on the implementation of the current resolution and continue to plan for additional MONUC deployments.