Mr. Doss expressed MONUC’s concern at the hardships facing the Congolese population as a whole due to the tough economic situation, and especially those who have been displaced by attacks from armed groups.

However, he said: “Advances have been made which create hope.” Among other things, he was referring to operation Kimia 2, where he said collaboration between MONUC and FARDC in the field is “productive” given the increasing number of combatants, notably FDLR elements who are now willing to hand over their weapons and be repatriated to their country.

Asked about the exact number of those who have actually made their choice to return to their country as a result of this continued military pressure, Mr. Doss said 11,700 FDLR and their dependents have surrendered, and this includes 1,500 combatants. “It is not a deluge, but it is continuing and it is encouraging,” he said.

In response to a question that operation Kimia 2 was achieving nothing but displacing the problem, Mr Doss insisted on the importance of maintaining military pressure against the FDLR.

“They may not surrender immediately, but they will end up doing so sooner or later,” he said. “Multidimensional action is needed against the FDLR, notably action against their leaders who are elsewhere outside the DRC”.

Speaking on South Kivu province where operations against the FDLR are ongoing, the Special Representative stressed the need to stabilise areas that have been vacated by the FDLR, to prevent these zones from being re-occupied.

Mr Doss explained that MONUC’s support is not limited to Kimia 2, but extends to operation Rudia 2 against the LRA in the two Uele districts of Orientale province. “We are providing the same kind of support, operational and logistical, and we will continue to do so for as long as the Government considers the LRA to be a danger,” he said.

On this collaboration, which has often been criticised due to cases of abuse committed against civilians by some DRC Armed Forces (FARDC) elements, Mr. Doss commended the government for its zero tolerance policy toward such abuse by members of the Congolese army. 

He said: “There has been a clear improvement since this policy was announced…there are legal actions, even if not all exactions have ceased; but this work needs to continue to be reinforced … and we are already providing our support to the Military Court.”

On the question of what type of mandate MONUC needs to effectively assist the FARDC in overcoming the armed groups in eastern DRC, Mr Doss’s response could not be clearer: “The mandate is quite appropriate. Ours is a reinforced and expanded mandate, even if it is difficult to implement, as the context is much more complex and there are many things to do”.

Asked when the 3,000 additional personnel requested by MONUC are going to arrive, the UN Special Representative was pleased to announce that: “the first elements are arriving today in eastern Congo from Entebbe in Uganda.” 

But he mentioned one remaining concern, saying the required logistics capability has yet to be obtained, notably the requested additional helicopters which remain a problem.

On whether these 3,000 new personnel will help to definitively stabilise the East, Mr Doss explained said that stabilisation in this case means doing several things at the same time.

“People have been affected, people have been displaced and they want to return to their homes. Infrastructure rehabilitation needs must be addressed in terms of providing roads, school, health centres; authorities need to be assisted in improving the living conditions and restoring State authority. All these conditions must be met for displaced people to return to their homes.”

Mr. Doss said one critical stabilizing factor is to ensure effective State control of the mining sector, because illegal exploitation of mineral resources is one of the causes that “fuels conflicts”.

He recalled the State’s responsibility to regulate development and exploitation of mineral resources, saying many in the sector are taking advantage of their exploration permits to engage in illegal exploitation. He suggested that this problem “could be the subject of a debate at the national level, supported by the international community…It is not the solution, but a part of the solution.”

On another matter, one journalist sought Mr Doss’s reaction to what the journalist described as a “lack of confidence” among the population towards MONUC.

“That is what you say, not the population,” the head of MONUC said. “I often travel around the country and people thank me for the work we are doing…Often, when there is a problem, people seek refuge outside MONUC bases. …They would flee if they did not have confidence in MONUC.”

During this encounter with the press, the Special Representative touched on other issues as well, notably the assassination on Sunday last (22 August) of a journalist in Bukavu, the third to be killed in the town in less than three years.

Mr. Doss voiced his own dismay and that of MONUC: “the attempts against the press, whatever their motive, can only discourage the growth of a democracy worth the name”.

He called on Congolese judicial authorities « to track down the presumed perpetrators and let them face the full force of the law. This would undoubtedly help to promote the fight against impunity,” he said, adding that if requested, MONUC stands ready to assist the Congolese authorities in conducting this investigation.