DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania, Nov. 26 (UPI) -- U.N. special envoy for the Great Lakes region of Africa Mary Robinson said she was upbeat about the prospects for peace in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
"Developments over the past month have brought renewed hope to people in the eastern DRC," she said in a statement Monday. "Further efforts are needed to ensure that the country is rid of all negative forces and security is re-established sustainably."
Robinson, a former Irish president, is in the region to drum up support for the so-called Kampala dialogue, an initiative aimed at securing peace between the DRC government and the rebel March 23 Movement.
"We must work to restore trust and take the steps that are needed to resolve the underlying causes of conflict and instability to the region," Robinson said.
M23 is comprised of former rebels integrated into the DRC military who mutinied last year, saying the government reneged on a 2009 peace agreement. International aid consortium Oxfam said M23 is just one of the dozen or so armed gangs creating problems in eastern DRC.
The United Nations estimates fighting in DRC has displaced more than 100,000 and left more than 6.4 million dependent on international humanitarian assistance.
