UN
United Nations Peacekeeping
3 Mar
2009
Kivu Brigade is gradually deploying
The deployment of the Kivu Brigade is proceeding, declared the MONUC military Spokesman, Commander Abou Thiam, during the weekly press briefing on Wednesday.
« The Brigade's headquarters in Bukavu is already in place. The airborne deployment is proceeding. Some of the Uruguayan peacekeepers have already arrived in Uvira. South African peacekeepers will shortly deploy to Rutshuru», he indicated. The Kivu Brigade should be operational by the end of May and will be carrying out wide scale operations along the border between the DRC and Burundi, further said the military Spokesman.
MONUC Force Commander, General Samaila Iliya, travelled to Kivu to follow up on the deployment operations of the Brigade. He also flew to Burundi where he met with the Burundian army Chief of Staff, Germain Niyoyankana. The airport in the Burundian capital being close to Bukavu could facilitate the activities of the Kivu Brigade, highlighted the MONUC military spokesman. The MONUC military chief also held talks with the head of operations within the Burundian army, Brigadier General Célestin Ndayisaba, the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General for Burundi, Berhanu Dinka, the President of the Cease-Fire Commission, El Hadj Alioune Samba and the civilian and military authorities in the country. All these contacts are part of the coordination efforts aimed to monitor activities along the border between the DRC and Burundi and to apply the weapons embargo in the East of the DRC, said Abou Thiam.
Earlier, in Goma, General Samaila Iliya met with the Commander of the 8th military region, General Obed Rwibasira, within the framework of the coordination of MONUC troop activities and those of the Forces Armées de la République Démocratique du Congo (FARDC). Both of them flew across the North Kivu province where General Obed held talks with his troops.
The tour was also an opportunity for the Forces Commander to show solidarity and compassion to the South African contingent in Goma that recently lost 6 of its troops, killed on 6 April in a deadly accident; their armoured vehicle fell into Lake Kivu. General Iliya commended the South African contingent for their dynamism, for surpassing themselves and for showing a sense of dignity after the sad events.
Furthermore, the MONUC Spokesman, Hamadoun Touré, also debriefed the press on the Tuesday visit to Libreville made by the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for the DRC, William Lacy Swing. Gabon's Head of State, Omar Bongo Odimba, received him. MONUC redeployment, the organization of elections within the time frame set by the Constitution, and the reform of the security system were discussed by both personalities, highlighted Mr. Touré.
With regard to the medical barge, which left Mbandaka on 2 April 2004, with four tons of medicine and foodstuffs on board intended for the riverside and Tshuapa population, the MONUC Spokesman indicated that the barge continues its course. « The barge is now at Bokungu, 800 km from Mbandaka. It continues to sail across that part of the country giving medical treatment to the population », he said.
Asked about MONUC investigations in Lukweti, 150 km from Goma, regarding allegations of a massacre of about 40 people between 12 and 15 March 2004, Mr. Touré answered that the investigations were ongoing. « The locality is difficult to access because of the bridge linking its two districts, and the impossibility of landing by plane. MONUC is however endeavouring to get to the site in order to bring the whole truth about the matter to light», he highlighted.
MONUC Force Commander, General Samaila Iliya, travelled to Kivu to follow up on the deployment operations of the Brigade. He also flew to Burundi where he met with the Burundian army Chief of Staff, Germain Niyoyankana. The airport in the Burundian capital being close to Bukavu could facilitate the activities of the Kivu Brigade, highlighted the MONUC military spokesman. The MONUC military chief also held talks with the head of operations within the Burundian army, Brigadier General Célestin Ndayisaba, the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General for Burundi, Berhanu Dinka, the President of the Cease-Fire Commission, El Hadj Alioune Samba and the civilian and military authorities in the country. All these contacts are part of the coordination efforts aimed to monitor activities along the border between the DRC and Burundi and to apply the weapons embargo in the East of the DRC, said Abou Thiam.
Earlier, in Goma, General Samaila Iliya met with the Commander of the 8th military region, General Obed Rwibasira, within the framework of the coordination of MONUC troop activities and those of the Forces Armées de la République Démocratique du Congo (FARDC). Both of them flew across the North Kivu province where General Obed held talks with his troops.
The tour was also an opportunity for the Forces Commander to show solidarity and compassion to the South African contingent in Goma that recently lost 6 of its troops, killed on 6 April in a deadly accident; their armoured vehicle fell into Lake Kivu. General Iliya commended the South African contingent for their dynamism, for surpassing themselves and for showing a sense of dignity after the sad events.
Furthermore, the MONUC Spokesman, Hamadoun Touré, also debriefed the press on the Tuesday visit to Libreville made by the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for the DRC, William Lacy Swing. Gabon's Head of State, Omar Bongo Odimba, received him. MONUC redeployment, the organization of elections within the time frame set by the Constitution, and the reform of the security system were discussed by both personalities, highlighted Mr. Touré.
With regard to the medical barge, which left Mbandaka on 2 April 2004, with four tons of medicine and foodstuffs on board intended for the riverside and Tshuapa population, the MONUC Spokesman indicated that the barge continues its course. « The barge is now at Bokungu, 800 km from Mbandaka. It continues to sail across that part of the country giving medical treatment to the population », he said.
Asked about MONUC investigations in Lukweti, 150 km from Goma, regarding allegations of a massacre of about 40 people between 12 and 15 March 2004, Mr. Touré answered that the investigations were ongoing. « The locality is difficult to access because of the bridge linking its two districts, and the impossibility of landing by plane. MONUC is however endeavouring to get to the site in order to bring the whole truth about the matter to light», he highlighted.
