Assembly/AU/4(XII) Page 9 instruments in force. For his part, President Nkurunziza pledged to allocate 33 seats to members of Palipehutu-FNL leaders. He also reiterated his decision to free all political and prisoners of war. The two parties agreed on the need for the DDR process to start without further delay. Since then, the political process has seen progress. In fact, political and prisoners of war have been freed and transferred to the Rubira assembly point. Meanwhile, Agathon Rwasa’s Movement has adopted a new name: Forces nationales de liberation (FNL) – National Liberation Forces. The parties pledged to settle all pending issues before 15 February 2009. 39. In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the peace consolidation process taking place in the country since the establishment of the institutions arising from the elections held during the second half of the year 2006 was disrupted by the outbreak of fighting, provoked by the National Congress for the Defence of the People (CNDP), between the Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC) and units of dissident General Laurent Nkunda’s CNDP. The fighting gave rise to a serious humanitarian crisis and to a number of atrocities against the civilian population. 40. On 29 October 2008, faced with the mobilization of the international community, including the AU, concerned regional actors, the United Nations and the European Union, the CNDP declared a unilateral ceasefire. The Government of Congo and the CNDP started negotiations in Nairobi, as from 8 December 2008, facilitated by the Special Envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General, Mr. Olusegun Obasanjo, and the Monitoring Mechanism set up by the Regional Summit held in Nairobi on 7 November 2008. After two working sessions virtually devoted to procedural issues, the two parties suspended the negotiations, which resumed on 8 January 2009. Meanwhile, on 20 November 2008, the United Nations Security Council authorized a temporary increase in MONUC troops. 41. At the time of finalizing this Report, there were new developments in the situation. In mid January, a group of CNDP officers led by General Bosco Ntagana, Chief of Staff of the military wing of the movement, announced that General Laurent Nkunda had been deposed from the leadership of the party, reproaching him, notably, of being an obstacle to the peace process. On 17 January 2009, the group declared the end of the war and put itself at the disposal of the FARDC to combat the FDLR. The following day, General Nkunda, still not recognizing his overthrow, in turn announced the end of the war and the placement of his men at the disposal of the FARDC to combat the “common enemy”, that is, the FDLR. Most Mai-Mai groups have also decided to lay down their arms and join the peace process. Furthermore, within the scope of implementation of the Agreement concluded between the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the DRC and Rwanda in Goma on 5 December 2008, a contingent of Rwandan soldiers entered North Kivu on 20 January 2009 to conduct a joint operation with the FARDC against the FDLR. On 22 January 2009, the dissident General Laurent Kunda was arrested on Rwanda territory. 42. Meanwhile, on 14 December 2008, the Governments of the DRC and Uganda, together with that of South Sudan (GoSS), launched a joint military operation against LRA (Lord’s Resistance Army) bases in Garamba Park in NorthEast DRC. Reacting to this operation, the LRA perpetrated a series of atrocities in some areas in the DRC.