UN
United Nations Peacekeeping
3 Mar
2009
Press Briefing
The Special Representatives of the United Nations Secretary-General for the DRC?s activities, Ituri Disarmament and Community Reintegration process and humanitarian situation following the recent massive displacement of eastern DRC populations were the highlights of MONUC weekly news conference on Wednesday.
The Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for the Democratic Republic of Congo, William Lacy Swing, visited Bunia on 12 September, MONUC Spokesman, Mamadou Bah, announced during the Mission?s weekly news conference.
Mr. Swing was accompanied by the new Ituri Brigade?s commander, General Deo Ghale Bahadur from Nepal and the Moroccan Ambassador to the DRC. « The objective of the Special Representative?s visit was to enquire about the Ituri Disarmament and Community Reintegration programme (DRC)», Mr. Bah said.
Major François Ouédraogo, MONUC military spokesman, said the Ituri Brigade?s chief, General Ghale heads a 4000-peacekeeper battalion. «MONUC is determined to carry out Ituri pacification», he added. In this framework, on 13 September 2004, the deputy commander of MONUC Forces, General Jan Isberg, visited the Kpandroma-based ?Forces Nationalistes et Intégrationnistes (FNI) and the Ndrele-based ?Forces Armées du Peuple Congolais (FAPC)? camps, to encourage them to participate in the DRC process intended for all the active armed groups, he indicated.
On the same issue of disarmament, MONUC organised the visit of five transit sites on 11 September 2004: in Mahagi, Kpandroma, Kasenyi, Nizi and Aveba, for the representatives of the Ituri armed groups, Mr. Mamadou Bah told the press. The objective of the visit was to explain the reception requirements, the logistics and how things are organised in the centres, he said. «MONUC takes note of the satisfaction expressed by the representatives who, besides, used the opportunity to renew their commitment to the DRC programme», he further indicated.
Mr. Bah also announced the transfer of the 17 people held in Bunia prison to the Kinshasa CPRK ?Centre Pénitencier de Rééducation? on 14 September 2004. MONUC contribute logistic equipment in the transfer. «Some of the detainees were sentenced to imprisonment by the Bunia court and will be jailed in the CPRK . The others? cases will be looked into by the Supreme Court of Justice», the Spokesman highlighted. « This government?s activity is supported by MONUC. The Justice Minister, in conformity with the law in force, reaffirms that he is legally empowered to deal with such cases throughout the DRC territory and in accordance with the Rule of Law and struggle against impunity», he further said.
MONUC Spokesman announced that the final report of the preliminary investigations on the Gatumba massacre conducted by the UN was submitted to the UN Security Council in New York on Monday 13 September 2004. « The report is the fruit of a joint work conducted by MONUC investigators, the UN Mission in Burundi (ONUB) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights», he said.
Mr. Bah also informed the press on the arrival of the UN deputy Chief of Electoral Division, Nour-Eddine Dris at Kinshasa on Tuesday. « It is his third visit to the DRC», he further said. Mr. Driss met with the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for the DRC, William Lacy Swing on Wednesday. He is due to hold talks with the members of the Independent Electoral Commission and the donors.
Mamadou Bah told the press that the situation in Minova was quiet. Verification was made by a MONUC pluridisciplinary team in Goma which travelled to Minova district, South Kivu, until recently held by Laurent Nkunda?s renegade troops; Minova is currently under control of the ?Forces Armées de la République Démocratique du Congo (FARDC). « Apparently, there was no fighting. Laurent Nkunda?s dissidents have reportedly retreated to Masisi », Mr. Bah said, quoting military sources.
Moreover, the Information focal point of MONUC Humanitarian Section, Patrice Bogna, brought to the attention of the press the alarming situation faced by several displaced people in eastern DRC, highlighting the complexity of the situation, which gives cause for concern to the Humanitarian community. « As FARDC troops are advancing, the population are returning home except for the Banyamulenge population who, fearing for their lives, flee the recaptured territory», he indicated. Quoting the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), altogether there are 2,329,000 displaced persons in the territory. 725,000 have returned home following the improvement of security situation in various districts. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (HCR), there are altogether 380,000 Congolese refugees. « As a result of the fighting in eastern DRC, 150,0000 people reportedly fled their houses to take refuge in hills and forests. Their return constitutes a major challenge for the humanitarian community with regard to the 2005 elections», Mr. Bogna said.
MONUC spokesman Mamadou Bah also told the press that Mr. Swing will be part of the team due to visit the Training centre of ?Unité de Protection des Institutions de la transition (UPI)/Protection Unit of the Transition?s institutions. Situated about fourty kilometers from Kinshasa, on Matadi road, the centre is in fact the former recently renovated premise of the DRC Office des Routes, Mamadou Bah indicated. A unit of about 1,800 elements will be trained in and divided into eight companies. UPI?s tasks will be twofold: to ensure security of high-ranking personalities representing the transition?s institutions (closed protection, escort, static guard) and to police mass movements (patrolling, controlling demonstrations, riots...). « The project?s funding assessed at 650,000 euros will be supported by European Union that will provide: instructors, logistics, and vehicles? MONUC Civpol?s role will consist in forming the Congolese national police, providing technical and legal assistance especially in the framing of legal texts and implementation of the project», Mr. Bah said, adding that in late October, the first trainees will be operational in Kinshasa and by the end of the year half of the Unit will have been trained. The whole training will be completed in the next six months, he concluded.
Mr. Swing was accompanied by the new Ituri Brigade?s commander, General Deo Ghale Bahadur from Nepal and the Moroccan Ambassador to the DRC. « The objective of the Special Representative?s visit was to enquire about the Ituri Disarmament and Community Reintegration programme (DRC)», Mr. Bah said.
Major François Ouédraogo, MONUC military spokesman, said the Ituri Brigade?s chief, General Ghale heads a 4000-peacekeeper battalion. «MONUC is determined to carry out Ituri pacification», he added. In this framework, on 13 September 2004, the deputy commander of MONUC Forces, General Jan Isberg, visited the Kpandroma-based ?Forces Nationalistes et Intégrationnistes (FNI) and the Ndrele-based ?Forces Armées du Peuple Congolais (FAPC)? camps, to encourage them to participate in the DRC process intended for all the active armed groups, he indicated.
On the same issue of disarmament, MONUC organised the visit of five transit sites on 11 September 2004: in Mahagi, Kpandroma, Kasenyi, Nizi and Aveba, for the representatives of the Ituri armed groups, Mr. Mamadou Bah told the press. The objective of the visit was to explain the reception requirements, the logistics and how things are organised in the centres, he said. «MONUC takes note of the satisfaction expressed by the representatives who, besides, used the opportunity to renew their commitment to the DRC programme», he further indicated.
Mr. Bah also announced the transfer of the 17 people held in Bunia prison to the Kinshasa CPRK ?Centre Pénitencier de Rééducation? on 14 September 2004. MONUC contribute logistic equipment in the transfer. «Some of the detainees were sentenced to imprisonment by the Bunia court and will be jailed in the CPRK . The others? cases will be looked into by the Supreme Court of Justice», the Spokesman highlighted. « This government?s activity is supported by MONUC. The Justice Minister, in conformity with the law in force, reaffirms that he is legally empowered to deal with such cases throughout the DRC territory and in accordance with the Rule of Law and struggle against impunity», he further said.
MONUC Spokesman announced that the final report of the preliminary investigations on the Gatumba massacre conducted by the UN was submitted to the UN Security Council in New York on Monday 13 September 2004. « The report is the fruit of a joint work conducted by MONUC investigators, the UN Mission in Burundi (ONUB) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights», he said.
Mr. Bah also informed the press on the arrival of the UN deputy Chief of Electoral Division, Nour-Eddine Dris at Kinshasa on Tuesday. « It is his third visit to the DRC», he further said. Mr. Driss met with the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for the DRC, William Lacy Swing on Wednesday. He is due to hold talks with the members of the Independent Electoral Commission and the donors.
Mamadou Bah told the press that the situation in Minova was quiet. Verification was made by a MONUC pluridisciplinary team in Goma which travelled to Minova district, South Kivu, until recently held by Laurent Nkunda?s renegade troops; Minova is currently under control of the ?Forces Armées de la République Démocratique du Congo (FARDC). « Apparently, there was no fighting. Laurent Nkunda?s dissidents have reportedly retreated to Masisi », Mr. Bah said, quoting military sources.
Moreover, the Information focal point of MONUC Humanitarian Section, Patrice Bogna, brought to the attention of the press the alarming situation faced by several displaced people in eastern DRC, highlighting the complexity of the situation, which gives cause for concern to the Humanitarian community. « As FARDC troops are advancing, the population are returning home except for the Banyamulenge population who, fearing for their lives, flee the recaptured territory», he indicated. Quoting the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), altogether there are 2,329,000 displaced persons in the territory. 725,000 have returned home following the improvement of security situation in various districts. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (HCR), there are altogether 380,000 Congolese refugees. « As a result of the fighting in eastern DRC, 150,0000 people reportedly fled their houses to take refuge in hills and forests. Their return constitutes a major challenge for the humanitarian community with regard to the 2005 elections», Mr. Bogna said.
MONUC spokesman Mamadou Bah also told the press that Mr. Swing will be part of the team due to visit the Training centre of ?Unité de Protection des Institutions de la transition (UPI)/Protection Unit of the Transition?s institutions. Situated about fourty kilometers from Kinshasa, on Matadi road, the centre is in fact the former recently renovated premise of the DRC Office des Routes, Mamadou Bah indicated. A unit of about 1,800 elements will be trained in and divided into eight companies. UPI?s tasks will be twofold: to ensure security of high-ranking personalities representing the transition?s institutions (closed protection, escort, static guard) and to police mass movements (patrolling, controlling demonstrations, riots...). « The project?s funding assessed at 650,000 euros will be supported by European Union that will provide: instructors, logistics, and vehicles? MONUC Civpol?s role will consist in forming the Congolese national police, providing technical and legal assistance especially in the framing of legal texts and implementation of the project», Mr. Bah said, adding that in late October, the first trainees will be operational in Kinshasa and by the end of the year half of the Unit will have been trained. The whole training will be completed in the next six months, he concluded.
