UN
United Nations Peacekeeping
3 Mar
2009
MONUC has no concrete proof of Rwandan military presence in the DRC
MONUC has no concrete proof of a Rwandan military presence in the DRC.
The Mission of the United Nations Organisation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC) has carried out several helicopter and foot patrol missions in over a hundred villages to verify rumours, information and various testimonies concerning the presence of Rwandan troops in the DRC. However, MONUC has no concrete proof of the Rwandan presence in Congo, but does have a body of clues pointing to 'an armed and organised, but unknown, military presence,' said Colonel Patrick Colas des Francs, chief of staff of the mission, speaking at a weekly news briefing on Wednesday.
These clues are concentrated in the Goma-Walikalé-south of Lake Edouard triangle, Colonel Colas des Francs explained. They include still-fresh remnants of bivouacs suggesting the presence of several hundred armed troops, as well as burned villages. Colonel Colas des Francs said much of the information received proved erroneous. For example, fighting had been reported in the Mutombo locality, but MONUC found civilian populations were living peacefully there. The mission is continuing to patrol the region to verify reports it receives, the chief of staff said.
MONUC Public Information Director, Mme Patricia Tome, was the first to address the conference, briefing journalists on the UN Security Council's December 8 declaration. She said the 15 members of the Council expressed deep concern about multiple reports of military operations by the Rwandan army in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Rwandan Government's threats in this regard. The Security Council demanded 'the Government of Rwanda withdraw without delay any military forces it may have in the territory of the Democratic Republic of the Congo,' she said.
The Council also said the presence and activity of Rwandan rebels (ex-FAR and Interahamwe) in the DRC was 'unacceptable' and demanded they disarm and disband without delay, with a view to their repatriation or resettlement. The Security Council urged the Congolese authorities to 'urgently take all possible steps to effectively disarm these armed groups, in the interest of the stability of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the security of Rwanda and of Burundi and the re-establishment of peace and stability in the region as a whole.'
It is in this context that MONUC welcomed the meeting of the DRC's High Council of Defence, which came down in favour of the planned deployment of Congolese armed forces (FADRC) to the eastern part of the DRC. Giving the content of the statement that was issued after this meeting, Mme Tomé stressed that the Council of Defence said this deployment would be carried out in conditions which reassure the populations and which reinforce the units of the 8th military region. The High Council of Defence also declared itself in favour of increased operations to neutralise the Interahamwe/ex-FAR forces and other armed groups present on Congolese soil. Also, it came down in favour of accelerating the process of demobilising and integrating armed groups into the FARDC, and regularising ranks for officers as well. 'MONUC takes note of the commitments made by the High Council of Defence,' Mme Tomé said.
Turning to the situation in the northeastern Ituri district, MONUC spokesman Mamadou Bah, told the briefing that the disarmament and community reintegration (DCR) was going forward, with, as of 7 December 2004, a total of 880 ex-combatants having entered the programme and some 4,332 arms and ammunition collected.
Mr. Bah also recalled that MONUC on 5 December 2004 launched an operation against a militia camp in the locality of Ndrele, 20 km southeast of Mahagi, in the northeastern part of Ituri, following alarming reports of exactions by militiamen of the Forces Armées du Peuple Congolais (FAPC, Congolese People's Armed Forces) against civilians including children, the killing of child soldiers wishing to leave the armed group and the suspected presence of human remains in this camp. 'The aim of this MONUC operation was to enable representatives of civil police to investigate these allegations,' said Mr. Bah, adding that the operation was backed by some 300 troops of the mission's Ituri Brigade. Two peacekeepers and a civilian woman were injured in the operation, while two militiamen were killed and two other arrested, he said, adding he had no causality report on the militiamen who escaped.
MONUC takes note of the High Council of Defence's decision on 'the acceleration of the demobilisation and integration of Ituri armed groups into the FARDC, as well as the promise to regularise ranks for officers.' The mission's spokesman said a quick decision on the militia leaders' future in the national army would be welcome since it would clarify their situation, thereby depriving them of any excuse for delaying or sabotaging the DCR process.
These clues are concentrated in the Goma-Walikalé-south of Lake Edouard triangle, Colonel Colas des Francs explained. They include still-fresh remnants of bivouacs suggesting the presence of several hundred armed troops, as well as burned villages. Colonel Colas des Francs said much of the information received proved erroneous. For example, fighting had been reported in the Mutombo locality, but MONUC found civilian populations were living peacefully there. The mission is continuing to patrol the region to verify reports it receives, the chief of staff said.
MONUC Public Information Director, Mme Patricia Tome, was the first to address the conference, briefing journalists on the UN Security Council's December 8 declaration. She said the 15 members of the Council expressed deep concern about multiple reports of military operations by the Rwandan army in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Rwandan Government's threats in this regard. The Security Council demanded 'the Government of Rwanda withdraw without delay any military forces it may have in the territory of the Democratic Republic of the Congo,' she said.
The Council also said the presence and activity of Rwandan rebels (ex-FAR and Interahamwe) in the DRC was 'unacceptable' and demanded they disarm and disband without delay, with a view to their repatriation or resettlement. The Security Council urged the Congolese authorities to 'urgently take all possible steps to effectively disarm these armed groups, in the interest of the stability of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the security of Rwanda and of Burundi and the re-establishment of peace and stability in the region as a whole.'
It is in this context that MONUC welcomed the meeting of the DRC's High Council of Defence, which came down in favour of the planned deployment of Congolese armed forces (FADRC) to the eastern part of the DRC. Giving the content of the statement that was issued after this meeting, Mme Tomé stressed that the Council of Defence said this deployment would be carried out in conditions which reassure the populations and which reinforce the units of the 8th military region. The High Council of Defence also declared itself in favour of increased operations to neutralise the Interahamwe/ex-FAR forces and other armed groups present on Congolese soil. Also, it came down in favour of accelerating the process of demobilising and integrating armed groups into the FARDC, and regularising ranks for officers as well. 'MONUC takes note of the commitments made by the High Council of Defence,' Mme Tomé said.
Turning to the situation in the northeastern Ituri district, MONUC spokesman Mamadou Bah, told the briefing that the disarmament and community reintegration (DCR) was going forward, with, as of 7 December 2004, a total of 880 ex-combatants having entered the programme and some 4,332 arms and ammunition collected.
Mr. Bah also recalled that MONUC on 5 December 2004 launched an operation against a militia camp in the locality of Ndrele, 20 km southeast of Mahagi, in the northeastern part of Ituri, following alarming reports of exactions by militiamen of the Forces Armées du Peuple Congolais (FAPC, Congolese People's Armed Forces) against civilians including children, the killing of child soldiers wishing to leave the armed group and the suspected presence of human remains in this camp. 'The aim of this MONUC operation was to enable representatives of civil police to investigate these allegations,' said Mr. Bah, adding that the operation was backed by some 300 troops of the mission's Ituri Brigade. Two peacekeepers and a civilian woman were injured in the operation, while two militiamen were killed and two other arrested, he said, adding he had no causality report on the militiamen who escaped.
MONUC takes note of the High Council of Defence's decision on 'the acceleration of the demobilisation and integration of Ituri armed groups into the FARDC, as well as the promise to regularise ranks for officers.' The mission's spokesman said a quick decision on the militia leaders' future in the national army would be welcome since it would clarify their situation, thereby depriving them of any excuse for delaying or sabotaging the DCR process.
