UN
United Nations Peacekeeping
3 Mar
2009
MONUC denounces hate campaign against it in Bukavu
The United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC) denounces the tension in Bukavu as a result of a hate campaign orchestrated by representatives of local civilian and religious authorities against its Mission in Bukavu as part of disinformation campaign aimed at discrediting the Mission.
Addressing the UN Mission's weekly press conference on Wednesday about this hate campaign, Ms. Patricia Tome, Director of MONUC Public Information revealed a ''manipulators' network'' determined to derail the transition. ''Those people, some of whom clearly identified, are using the return of the Banyamulenge refugees to DRC as a pretext to accuse MONUC of requisitioning premises in Bukavu for their accommodation''. Ms Tome highlighted that ''the saboteurs' objective is to undermine the whole transition process by spreading disorder and hatred in Kivu''.
According to MONUC Head of Public Information, the organizers of the campaign have been endeavoring ''on a daily basis'' to get people to believe that MONUC is allegedly backing a 'pseudo plan for new war' whilst ''their true objective is to stir up hatred and drive to extreme position an already distrustful and bruised population through ill-intentioned propaganda. We keep in touch with the local civilian and religious authorities including their representatives in Kinshasa, with a view to stopping the dangerous propaganda which everybody is aware of'', she said.
Ms. Tome recalled that MONUC is in DRC at the request of the DRC government. 'She therefore turns to the latter to request appropriate sites for its operations in DRC. MONUC does not use force to occupy nor requisition sites, and even less schools or hospitals''. Moreover, she added, MONUC is not involved in the repatriation of refugees, whether Banyamulenge or others. It did not even have the mandate to organize neither the return nor the resettlement of those refugees. This task behoves a Provincial Commission in charge of Repatriation in Bukavu, led by the governor and comprised of representatives from the army, security and intelligence services.
Earlier, MONUC Spokesman, Mamadou Bah, updated the press on DRC Disarmament and Community Reintegration process in Ituri. On 2 November 2004, ''384 ex-combatants joined the process and 1,728 weapons and ammunition were collected'', he indicated.
Referring to Ituri, Mr. Bah announced that a delegation including the head of the Independent Electoral Commission known as CEI, Apollinaire Malu-Malu, the head of MONUC electoral unit, Ali Diabacté, and an electoral expert of the European Union travelled to Bunia on Wednesday, 3 November 2004. ''The objective of the mission is to increase the Ituri populations' awareness of the elections and to put in place MONUC electoral section'', he added.
MONUC spokesman further said the CEI started touring the provinces on Tuesday in order to establish its offices across the country, indicating that the said offices will identify the CEI liaison offices and voters' registration centres. He however pointed out that ''the census will not take place unless the law on census is voted and financial and logistic means provided''.
Mr. Bah further also announced that the UN dozen-expert team that flew to Katanga to probe into the Shinkolobwe uranium mine fields completed its mission in DRC. ''It is due to fly back to Europe tomorrow to write a report including the findings with recommendations, to be presented notably to the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo so that urgent actions be taken in order to avert further tragedy in the Shinkolobwe uranium mines'', Mr. Bah said.
The Spokesman finally apprised the press of a recommendation aimed at the establishment of an International Criminal Court for the DRC. The recommendation was made to the Third Commission of the 59th UN General Assembly by an Independent Expert of the Commission on the Human Rights situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mr. Titinga Frédéric Pacere, appointed on 26 July 2004. In his presentation, Mr. Bah quoted the Independent Expert, Mr. Pacere, as highlighting that gross human rights abuse and crimes are still being perpetrated in the DRC, notably in the East. Legal administration has been unable to handle this situation, which has led to the creation of an International Criminal Court for the DRC.
According to MONUC Head of Public Information, the organizers of the campaign have been endeavoring ''on a daily basis'' to get people to believe that MONUC is allegedly backing a 'pseudo plan for new war' whilst ''their true objective is to stir up hatred and drive to extreme position an already distrustful and bruised population through ill-intentioned propaganda. We keep in touch with the local civilian and religious authorities including their representatives in Kinshasa, with a view to stopping the dangerous propaganda which everybody is aware of'', she said.
Ms. Tome recalled that MONUC is in DRC at the request of the DRC government. 'She therefore turns to the latter to request appropriate sites for its operations in DRC. MONUC does not use force to occupy nor requisition sites, and even less schools or hospitals''. Moreover, she added, MONUC is not involved in the repatriation of refugees, whether Banyamulenge or others. It did not even have the mandate to organize neither the return nor the resettlement of those refugees. This task behoves a Provincial Commission in charge of Repatriation in Bukavu, led by the governor and comprised of representatives from the army, security and intelligence services.
Earlier, MONUC Spokesman, Mamadou Bah, updated the press on DRC Disarmament and Community Reintegration process in Ituri. On 2 November 2004, ''384 ex-combatants joined the process and 1,728 weapons and ammunition were collected'', he indicated.
Referring to Ituri, Mr. Bah announced that a delegation including the head of the Independent Electoral Commission known as CEI, Apollinaire Malu-Malu, the head of MONUC electoral unit, Ali Diabacté, and an electoral expert of the European Union travelled to Bunia on Wednesday, 3 November 2004. ''The objective of the mission is to increase the Ituri populations' awareness of the elections and to put in place MONUC electoral section'', he added.
MONUC spokesman further said the CEI started touring the provinces on Tuesday in order to establish its offices across the country, indicating that the said offices will identify the CEI liaison offices and voters' registration centres. He however pointed out that ''the census will not take place unless the law on census is voted and financial and logistic means provided''.
Mr. Bah further also announced that the UN dozen-expert team that flew to Katanga to probe into the Shinkolobwe uranium mine fields completed its mission in DRC. ''It is due to fly back to Europe tomorrow to write a report including the findings with recommendations, to be presented notably to the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo so that urgent actions be taken in order to avert further tragedy in the Shinkolobwe uranium mines'', Mr. Bah said.
The Spokesman finally apprised the press of a recommendation aimed at the establishment of an International Criminal Court for the DRC. The recommendation was made to the Third Commission of the 59th UN General Assembly by an Independent Expert of the Commission on the Human Rights situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mr. Titinga Frédéric Pacere, appointed on 26 July 2004. In his presentation, Mr. Bah quoted the Independent Expert, Mr. Pacere, as highlighting that gross human rights abuse and crimes are still being perpetrated in the DRC, notably in the East. Legal administration has been unable to handle this situation, which has led to the creation of an International Criminal Court for the DRC.
