Kinshasa, 10 April 2009 - Alan Doss, Special Representative of the UN secretary General in the DRC shares the concerns of Oxfam on the displacements of people and humanitarian conditions in North Kivu province. MONUC again reaffirms its engagement to work in close cooperation with the FARDC (DRC Armed Forces) and to its utmost to protect civilians under imminent threat from violence, especially from FDLR rebels.

DRC-Rwanda joint military operations against the FDLR which ended in late February involved new displacements of the population, mainly because of FDLR banditry and threats in certain zones.

OCHA (UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) says that 250,000 people have been newly displaced in the provinces of North and South Kivu.

However it specifies that the majority are not "newly displaced," in the sense that these displacements are more preventive movements than those directly related to attacks.

Following DRC-Rwanda joint military operations a peace process was initiated to put a definite end to conflict in the Kivus. But it will be a long process.

Although there were a big number of displacements for this period, nearly 60,000 households and 300,000 displaced have returned to their communities of origin since the end of these operations.

MONUC recognizes nevertheless that armed groups, especially the LRA and the FDLR, still constitute a threat for the civil populations. Some of these armed groups continue to target vulnerable civilians with rape and plunder.

This is why the MONUC, with the protection of civilians at the heart of its mandate, reinforced not only its presence in the hot areas, but continues to bring the support necessary to the FARDC in their campaigns against the FDLR.

MONUC joins with Oxfam in appealing to all armed groups to respect international human rights law. Violations of this law will be considered as war crimes or crimes against humanity, for which the authors can be brought before international justice.

MONUC while being pleased with the support of Oxfam announces that it urgently needs the 3,000 blue helmets as well as other hardware requirements as authorized by the United Nations Security Council in Resolution 1843 (2008); in order to improve its protection of civilians, especially in Kivu and in Haut Uélé, as well as to support the FARDC and to respond promptly to developments on the ground.