UN
United Nations Peacekeeping
3 Mar
2009
MONUC extremely concerned over increased tension in eastern DRC following allegations of Rwandan
military presence on Congo's soil
MONUC extremely concerned over increased tension in eastern DRC following allegations of Rwandan military presence on Congo's soil
The Mission of the United Nations Organisation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) on Wednesday announced it had spotted 100 soldiers, possibly Rwandans, in the territory of Rutshuru, 70 kilometres north of Goma.
This report, however, remained to be confirmed, as it came in shortly before this weekly news briefing, which was led by the head of MONUC Public Information.
'There are allegations that need to be confirmed. There are also rumours that spread confusion and fear among the populations,' said Ms. Patricia Tomé, adding that MONUC was continuing its intensified patrols in North and South Kivu.
However, MONUC is concerned about increased tension in the east of the DRC, Mr. Tomé said. It is incomprehensible that Rwanda is threatening an operation in Congo came 'when there are favourable developments allowing for an accelerated repatriation of foreign armed groups still present on Congolese soil,' the Mission said in a statement of which copies were distributed to the press.
These favourable developments include current efforts to finalise the Joint Verification Mechanism on the border between the two countries; the launch, at the end of October, of the FARDC/MONUC joint operation at Walungu in a reinforced sensitisation campaign to hasten the voluntary repatriation of Rwandan rebels; the current reinforcement of MONUC military strength in the Kivus where the bulk of 5,900 extra peacekeepers are to be deployed; and the November 20 Dar-es-Salaam Declaration by which the signatories committed themselves to working on bringing stability and peace to the Great Lakes region.
At the request of the DRC Government, the UN Security Council will meet probably tomorrow (Thursday), announced Ms. Tomé, adding that the International Committee to Support the Transition (ICST) was also due to hold an emergency session today (Wednesday) afternoon in Kinshasa.
Ms. Tomé then recalled that the international community had deployed, and continue to deploy, efforts in the context of the operations to disarm national and foreign armed groups. This has resulted in a total of 11,270 persons, including 6,947 Rwandans repatriated by MONUC as of November 26, 2004, she recalled.
The international community, through the World Bank (WB) and the Multi-Country Demobilisation and Reintegration Programme (MDRP), has since March 2002 provided Rwanda with 39 million dollars for its national DDR programme, which concerns also Rwandan ex-combatants repatriated by MONUC. Similarly, the Government of the DRC has received to date 1,3 million dollars from the WB and the MDRP). It must be noted, however, that MONUC has suffered several setbacks to its DDRRR operations in the east of the country over the past two years. 'There has been little support from Congolese authorities on the ground, the pilot project at Walungu being the first of its kind to directly implicate the Congolese armed forces in a sensitisation operation targeting the FDLR present in that part of South Kivu,' Ms. Tomé explained.
MONUC spokesman Mamadou Bah, for his part, provided an update on the disarmament, and community reintegration (DRC) process in Ituri, which he said was progressing 'slowly but still in the right direction.' As of Tuesday (November 30), a total of 821 ex-combatants have entered the process and 3,888 arms and ammunition have been collected, he said, while calling on the Transitional Government to 'demonstrate its commitment to the Ituri pacification process initiated by MONUC and to send Ituri armed groups a coherent clear and unequivocal message about their disarmament and the integration of their leaders into the national army.'
Mr. Bah also read out the message of the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for the DRC, William Swing, on the occasion of World HIV/AIDS Day, which is commemorated on December 1st of each year. Mr. Swing invited MONUC personnel and the entire family of the UN System 'to redouble their efforts by committing themselves with determination to the reduction of the discrimination facing women and so that millions of infected adults and children may live in dignity.'
This report, however, remained to be confirmed, as it came in shortly before this weekly news briefing, which was led by the head of MONUC Public Information.
'There are allegations that need to be confirmed. There are also rumours that spread confusion and fear among the populations,' said Ms. Patricia Tomé, adding that MONUC was continuing its intensified patrols in North and South Kivu.
However, MONUC is concerned about increased tension in the east of the DRC, Mr. Tomé said. It is incomprehensible that Rwanda is threatening an operation in Congo came 'when there are favourable developments allowing for an accelerated repatriation of foreign armed groups still present on Congolese soil,' the Mission said in a statement of which copies were distributed to the press.
These favourable developments include current efforts to finalise the Joint Verification Mechanism on the border between the two countries; the launch, at the end of October, of the FARDC/MONUC joint operation at Walungu in a reinforced sensitisation campaign to hasten the voluntary repatriation of Rwandan rebels; the current reinforcement of MONUC military strength in the Kivus where the bulk of 5,900 extra peacekeepers are to be deployed; and the November 20 Dar-es-Salaam Declaration by which the signatories committed themselves to working on bringing stability and peace to the Great Lakes region.
At the request of the DRC Government, the UN Security Council will meet probably tomorrow (Thursday), announced Ms. Tomé, adding that the International Committee to Support the Transition (ICST) was also due to hold an emergency session today (Wednesday) afternoon in Kinshasa.
Ms. Tomé then recalled that the international community had deployed, and continue to deploy, efforts in the context of the operations to disarm national and foreign armed groups. This has resulted in a total of 11,270 persons, including 6,947 Rwandans repatriated by MONUC as of November 26, 2004, she recalled.
The international community, through the World Bank (WB) and the Multi-Country Demobilisation and Reintegration Programme (MDRP), has since March 2002 provided Rwanda with 39 million dollars for its national DDR programme, which concerns also Rwandan ex-combatants repatriated by MONUC. Similarly, the Government of the DRC has received to date 1,3 million dollars from the WB and the MDRP). It must be noted, however, that MONUC has suffered several setbacks to its DDRRR operations in the east of the country over the past two years. 'There has been little support from Congolese authorities on the ground, the pilot project at Walungu being the first of its kind to directly implicate the Congolese armed forces in a sensitisation operation targeting the FDLR present in that part of South Kivu,' Ms. Tomé explained.
MONUC spokesman Mamadou Bah, for his part, provided an update on the disarmament, and community reintegration (DRC) process in Ituri, which he said was progressing 'slowly but still in the right direction.' As of Tuesday (November 30), a total of 821 ex-combatants have entered the process and 3,888 arms and ammunition have been collected, he said, while calling on the Transitional Government to 'demonstrate its commitment to the Ituri pacification process initiated by MONUC and to send Ituri armed groups a coherent clear and unequivocal message about their disarmament and the integration of their leaders into the national army.'
Mr. Bah also read out the message of the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for the DRC, William Swing, on the occasion of World HIV/AIDS Day, which is commemorated on December 1st of each year. Mr. Swing invited MONUC personnel and the entire family of the UN System 'to redouble their efforts by committing themselves with determination to the reduction of the discrimination facing women and so that millions of infected adults and children may live in dignity.'
