MONUC STATEMENT ON NORTH KIVU SITUATION

Kinshasa, 13 October 2007. – With regard to the North Kivu situation, the United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) continues to support the FARDC in accordance with its mandate, assisting the Government in the restoration and extension of state authority. This support includes logistics and the medical evacuation of the wounded.

MONUC accords the highest priority to its mandate to protect civilians and has already demonstrated its determination to use all means at its disposal to implement this core responsibility. In this regard, MONUC reminds all of their fundamental duty to respect the norms of international humanitarian law and human rights and to refrain from any actions that might endanger the civilian population, including in particular vulnerable groups.

MONUC and the humanitarian partners – UN agencies and international NGOs – remain extremely concerned about continuous displacements of populations in the areas affected by the fighting and call on all belligerents to ensure total, unimpeded access to vulnerable civilians and those in need of protection and assistance.

MONUC urges all dissident troops to join "brassage"* immediately, for which MONUC with the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo has already made the necessary arrangements including reception sites and transport.

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*"Brassage": (literally means "to brew, to mix, or to stir"). French word used by DRC authorities to name the process of integrating various troops of the former belligerents of the wars in the Congo, to build up a new national Army. According to the agreements that put an end to war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), all belligerents (army, rebel factions, militias, warlords groups, etc.) have to provide troops for rebuilding a national army, the Forces Armées de la République Démocratique du Congo (FARDC – Armed Forces of the DRC). Combatants, some having fought against each others, are brought together in specific camps to be thoroughly "mixed" so as not to remain as homogenous groups along previous ethnic, political, regional affiliations and to receive common training provided by military personnel from various countries (South Africa, Belgium, France, Angola, etc.). According to this process, which is still ongoing, these troops are then sent as "integrated brigades" throughout the country and not to the areas they originated from. MONUC Force operates only with FARDC "integrated brigades" to which it provides additional training, and does not operate with the "non-integrated brigades" that have not yet gone through the "brassage" process.