Approximately 400 demobilised combatants were present on Monday 3 September 2007 in Bunia for the official launch of the community service reconstruction project (SRC). District representatives, the UE-PNDDR, MONUC, UNICEF and NGO partners took part in this event, organised by the UNDP office in Ituri district in northeastern DRC.

The third phase of the programme of Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) has demobilised 921 people. Of this number, more than 600 chose to take part in the three month SRC programme whose participation is voluntary.

The SRC is a service placed at the disposal of demobilized so that they can profit from an immediate subsistence of 50 dollars per month before being definitively reintegrated in their communities.

Those on the programme will undertake the rebuilding of basic infrastructure destroyed during the war, in particular the rehabilitation of roads in former conflict zones.

The various projects will be implemented by UNDP's NGO partners in Ituri, as the SRC aims in particular to weave the first bonds of community rebuilding.

Contrary to the two preceding phases of DDR, the SRC envisages the participation, within each group of ex-combatants, of host community members to a 30% level.

"When we heard of the UNDP project from our commander, we thought it was a good idea to hand over our weapons and allow our beloved district to develop. We invite the host community members to forgive us and to come to work with us in the SRC," said the representative of the ex-combatants of DDR phase III.

Such solutions of accompaniment will make it possible to avoid the rupture from the moment the ex combatants finishes the SRC, and the moment they start the durable reintegration programme .

UNDP Ituri representative Marie-France Desjardins told the demobilized troops present that they are the best ambassadors to transmit the message to their brothers and sisters who are still in the bush.

"In exactly ten days the points of disarmament will close. After this date, nobody will be able to disarm and profit from the same opportunities as now."

To date, the UNDP has approved thirteen projects in three Ituri territories, for a total cost of approximately $552,000.

Five projects will be carried out on the territory of Irumu, three in Djugu, and five in Mahagi. In addition to the rehabilitation of roads, these SRC projects have a particular focus in Bunia with the rehabilitation of the town podium, the liming of administrative buildings and a project entitled "Bunia, Clean City".

The ex-combatants not participating in the SRC will be assigned directly to the revenue generating activities(AGR) programme, selected according to the framework of the support programme for durable reintegration. Nine reintegration projects involving more than 2,000 ex-combatants have already been approved by the UNDP.

In his closing speech, district police chief Rwabona Mugabe thanked UNDP's investment, as well as its partners for their support in bringing peace to the Congo, and Ituri in particular.

Thank you for understanding that the first two phases were not sufficient. We must continue our efforts of peace through reconciliation. It is necessary to start anew, and now is the moment to refuse to accept men who want to destroy and separate us".

He then symbolically gave work tools to NGO representatives and project participants, who began work on the SRC on Tuesday 4 September last.