Kinshasa, 16 March 2009 - Alan Doss, Special Representative of the UN Secretary General in the DRC, took part in a ceremony in Dungu yesterday, marking the departure from the DRC of the Ugandan army, three months after the beginning of the operation "thunderclap," aimed at ending the activities of the rebels of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA).

In attendance were the Defence Ministers and Chiefs of Staff of the DRC and Uganda, several ambassadors and military attachés based in Kinshasa, as well as officials from Oriental Province.

The civil and military authorities of the two countries present at the ceremony praised the co-operation and the assistance of MONUC during these operations. They also asked for MONUC's continued assistance and co-operation with the DRC Armed Forces (FARDC) for search and cordon operations to flush out any remaining pockets of LRA resistance.

Alan Doss congratulated the two governments for the completed work.

"The operations in its current phase are completed, but there are pockets of resistance remaining, and there is work to do regarding the protection of the civilian population."

"The governments of the DRC and Uganda have acknowledged MONUC's support to the FARDC during the first phase. Now, it is necessary to turn to the future and forthcoming operations, and MONUC will continue to support the FARDC, and even to increase its assistance in order to help the government to put an end to the fatal activities of the LRA," added Mr. Doss.

The Special Representative left Dungu for Goma, after attending the departure ceremony for the first group of Ugandan soldiers who were returning home.