UN
United Nations Peacekeeping
3 Mar
2009
UN hails the release of MONUC peacekeeper of Moroccan contingent
UN hails the release of MONUC peacekeeper of Moroccan contingent
The United Nations Secretary-General, Kofi Annan declares himself satisfied with the release on Monday of Rashid Zahidi, a MONUC peacekeeper of Moroccan contingent; the peacekeeper was kidnapped on 2 September 2004. The Head of MONUC Public Information, Patricia Tomé, told the news conference on Wednesday.
The United Nations Secretary-General, Kofi Annan declares himself satisfied with the release on Monday of Rashid Zahidi, a MONUC peacekeeper of Moroccan contingent; the peacekeeper was kidnapped on 2 September 2004. The Head of MONUC Public Information, Patricia Tomé, told the news conference on Wednesday.
The UN Secretary-General recalled that a kidnapping of a UN Peacekeeper is a war crime. He called on the Congolese Transition's Government to take the necessary actions and ensure that those involved in the kidnapping of Mr. Zahidi answer for their acts, Ms. Tomé indicated. The Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for the DRC, William Lacy Swing, for his part, applauded the cooperation and assistance of the Congolese President, Joseph Kabila, and the DRC Government towards the happy conclusion, she further said. «MONUC also condemns this war crime, and hopes that the DRC government will bring to justice those who carried out the kidnapping», Patricia Tomé highlighted.
Mr. Zahidi was kidnapped by the troops of the 'Union des Patriotes Congolais' led by Thomas Lubanga (UPC/L). « He was found on Monday at about 22 hours in the area between Mogador and Central-Solenyama, one of the strongholds of the UPC armed groups, in North west of Bunia », Ms. Tomé said. This is in violation of the Act of Engagement signed by 7 armed groups active in the district on 14 May 2004 on the pacification of Ituri and the Disarmament and Community Reintegration processes (DRC) of the 15,000 elements of armed groups.
Referring to the abductors' claims, Ms. Tomé added that only one point was taken into consideration: « the mistrust and lack of information about the DRC and their integration into the DRC armed forces (FARDC) ». « We are in a decisive phases of the DRC. Some people and armed groups are not willing to turn over their weapons. They want further details from the Transition's Government and further clarifications regarding their fate», Patricia Tomé highlighted. It is in this context that the Coordinator of the military structure tasked with the integration, Colonel Mbiato of FARDC, travelled to Bunia three days ago, to explain how they will be integrated into the FARDC, after handing over their weapons. «The success of the DRC process is contingent upon the harmony between MONUC and the Transition's Government, in the political as well as in the military areas. We must work hand in hand», she said. « Nobody, neither MONUC, nor the Transition's Government will tolerate that armed elements hamper the pacification of Ituri and the DRC process initiated last 1st September», Ms. Tomé said.
Ms. Patricia reminded the press that proceedings over the UN Secretary-General's proposal on the redeployment and reinforcement of MONUC military strength in his third special report on the DRC requesting that the Mission's strength be doubled from 10,800 to 23,900 troops are ongoing. « Yesterday, France presented a new draft resolution requesting urgent reinforcement of MONUC strength and resources. The text requests that two battalions of 1,600 troops and four additional combat helicopters be rapidly availed to the Mission, to help the Mission cope with any spiral of tensions in DRC», Ms. Tomé said. « It is an immediate request included in the Secretary-General's request. The 1,600 would be immediately deployed to support the existing contingents as a rapid intervention force», she added.
Patricia Tomé also reminded the press of the opening of the first preliminary conference on Peace and Security in the Great Lakes region in Bujumbura on Monday. Over 150 participants from the DRC, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya and Zambia will discuss for 5 days the priority issues for a long term stability, security, peace and development in the sub-region. It is an initiative taken by the United Nations and the African Union. MONUC is represented by the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Behrooz Sadry.
Going back over the Gatumba massacre perpetrated during the night of 13 to 14 August 2004, Ms. Tomé referred to the Human Rights Watch report published on Monday, pointing an accusing finger at the 'Front National de Libération (FNL)' of Burundi as having committed the massacre of over 160 people. She expressed her surprise over the remarks by some local papers indicating that the Human Rights Watch findings on the Gatumba massacre differ from the UN's. « There is no question of difference at all since the UN report has not yet been finalised», she explained. MONUC, the UN Operation in Burundi (ONUB) and the High Commissioner for Human Rights dispatched a first team of human rights investigators the week following the massacre; a second multidisciplinary team was dispatched last week « including representatives of the political, military and humanitarian sections, with a view to consolidating the elements contained in the report issued by the first team», Patricia Tomé said. « The preliminary report is in the process of being finalised and will be submitted to the Security Council, hopefully next week», she concluded.
Mr. Zahidi was kidnapped by the troops of the 'Union des Patriotes Congolais' led by Thomas Lubanga (UPC/L). « He was found on Monday at about 22 hours in the area between Mogador and Central-Solenyama, one of the strongholds of the UPC armed groups, in North west of Bunia », Ms. Tomé said. This is in violation of the Act of Engagement signed by 7 armed groups active in the district on 14 May 2004 on the pacification of Ituri and the Disarmament and Community Reintegration processes (DRC) of the 15,000 elements of armed groups.
Referring to the abductors' claims, Ms. Tomé added that only one point was taken into consideration: « the mistrust and lack of information about the DRC and their integration into the DRC armed forces (FARDC) ». « We are in a decisive phases of the DRC. Some people and armed groups are not willing to turn over their weapons. They want further details from the Transition's Government and further clarifications regarding their fate», Patricia Tomé highlighted. It is in this context that the Coordinator of the military structure tasked with the integration, Colonel Mbiato of FARDC, travelled to Bunia three days ago, to explain how they will be integrated into the FARDC, after handing over their weapons. «The success of the DRC process is contingent upon the harmony between MONUC and the Transition's Government, in the political as well as in the military areas. We must work hand in hand», she said. « Nobody, neither MONUC, nor the Transition's Government will tolerate that armed elements hamper the pacification of Ituri and the DRC process initiated last 1st September», Ms. Tomé said.
Ms. Patricia reminded the press that proceedings over the UN Secretary-General's proposal on the redeployment and reinforcement of MONUC military strength in his third special report on the DRC requesting that the Mission's strength be doubled from 10,800 to 23,900 troops are ongoing. « Yesterday, France presented a new draft resolution requesting urgent reinforcement of MONUC strength and resources. The text requests that two battalions of 1,600 troops and four additional combat helicopters be rapidly availed to the Mission, to help the Mission cope with any spiral of tensions in DRC», Ms. Tomé said. « It is an immediate request included in the Secretary-General's request. The 1,600 would be immediately deployed to support the existing contingents as a rapid intervention force», she added.
Patricia Tomé also reminded the press of the opening of the first preliminary conference on Peace and Security in the Great Lakes region in Bujumbura on Monday. Over 150 participants from the DRC, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya and Zambia will discuss for 5 days the priority issues for a long term stability, security, peace and development in the sub-region. It is an initiative taken by the United Nations and the African Union. MONUC is represented by the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Behrooz Sadry.
Going back over the Gatumba massacre perpetrated during the night of 13 to 14 August 2004, Ms. Tomé referred to the Human Rights Watch report published on Monday, pointing an accusing finger at the 'Front National de Libération (FNL)' of Burundi as having committed the massacre of over 160 people. She expressed her surprise over the remarks by some local papers indicating that the Human Rights Watch findings on the Gatumba massacre differ from the UN's. « There is no question of difference at all since the UN report has not yet been finalised», she explained. MONUC, the UN Operation in Burundi (ONUB) and the High Commissioner for Human Rights dispatched a first team of human rights investigators the week following the massacre; a second multidisciplinary team was dispatched last week « including representatives of the political, military and humanitarian sections, with a view to consolidating the elements contained in the report issued by the first team», Patricia Tomé said. « The preliminary report is in the process of being finalised and will be submitted to the Security Council, hopefully next week», she concluded.
