Kinshasa, 15 October 2009 -- The United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) welcomed the statement issued on 13 October by a coalition of 84 humanitarian and human rights groups calling on the international community to provide the Mission with additional resources to protect civilians in the eastern DRC.

MONUC shares the concern expressed by the Congo Advocacy Coalition over the suffering inflicted on the civilian population by the Forces Démocratiques de Libération du Rwanda (FDLR), as well as over the humanitarian impact of military operations aimed at neutralizing the FDLR. MONUC also shares the Coalition's view that disarming the FDLR, "should remain a top priority for the Congolese Government and UN peacekeepers," along with urgent action to improve protection of civilians. The FDLR's core leadership includes figures responsible for the 1994 Rwandan genocide.

Alan Doss, the UN Special Representative of the Secretary General (SRSG) and head of MONUC said that peacekeepers were doing their utmost to protect civilians: "I share the coalition's concerns, both about FDLR attacks and abuses committed by some Congolese army personnel. MONUC is already acting on each of the five areas covered by the Coalition's recommendations; from taking a multi-pronged approach to weakening the FDLR through non-military as well as military means, to working with the FARDC command to identify and sanction Congolese army commanders and units who violate the President Kabila's declared "zero tolerance" policy regarding sexual violence and other abuses of the civilian population."

To enhance protection of civilians in the Kivus, MONUC has established more than 50 mobile operating bases with the flexibility to move as situations evolve. Joint Protection Teams (JPTs) deployed in vulnerable areas have helped MONUC military and local authorities analyze, anticipate, and respond to specific threats against civilians. Some 50 JPT missions comprised of civilian experts in human rights, civil and political affairs and other fields have been launched in North and South Kivu this year. MONUC's Rapid Response and Early Warning Cell assembles and analyzes information gathered in the field to help guide deployments by assessing areas of vulnerability, identifying threat patterns by the FDLR and remnants of other armed groups, and the impact of FARDC operations. MONUC monitoring helps identify FARDC units that perform well, as well as those who violate the rights of civilians. MONUC brings its findings to the attention of the FARDC command and encourages Congo's military leaders to take corrective measures. MONUC support to the FARDC goes beyond the supply of rations, potable water, transport and evacuation of casualties, to include assistance to military justice and the training of units in the field, particularly in human rights and international humanitarian law.

Mr. Doss is in New York this week to brief the Security Council on the progress made and challenges that remain in the DRC. In a report to the Council on 18 September, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appealed once again for States to come forward with the additional helicopters and intelligence assets authorized by the Council nearly a year ago. In November 2008, the Security Council approved 3,000 additional uniformed personnel, including military trainers and special forces as well as intelligence assets and 18 helicopters needed to give the Mission greater flexibility and reactive capacity in order to protect populations in undefended areas which are the FDLR's targets of choice. Additional personnel have begun to arrive in recent weeks but only two of the 18 helicopters have been made available.

Since the beginning of 2009, MONUC has disarmed and repatriated more than 1,200 FDLR combatants, separated more than 2,200 child soldiers from armed groups and the ranks of the FARDC while working with UNHCR to repatriate more than 13,000 Rwandan civilians, including dependents. MONUC has provided direct protection to hundreds of thousands of Congolese civilians while conducting thousands of patrols and providing escorts to ensure humanitarian access to affected areas. Despite progress in disrupting FDLR command structures and eroding their grip on the rank-and-file, SRSG Doss acknowledges that the job is not yet finished. "The FDLR has had free rein in the eastern DRC for more than a decade. Military operations against them have only been under way for nine months, with an FARDC that is sorely in need of training and equipment, and which is still managing the integration of thousands of former combatants. Ending the threat of the FDLR will take time and sustained support and MONUC is committed to doing its part."