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Congo-Kinshasa: FARDC Chief And Monuc Force Commander Update the Media On Noth Kivu Situation
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United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (Kinshasa)
26 October 2007
Posted to the web 26 October 2007
Sylvie Van Den Wildenberg
Congolese Army Chief of Staff, General Dieudonne Kayembe and MONUC Force Commander Babacar Gaye met in Goma, on 24 and 25 october 2007, and held several meetings with FARDC 8 Military Region officials as well as with MONUC representatives, in order to discuss and asses the current evolution of security and humanitarian situation in North Kivu.
Force Commander also had a long interaction with the humanitarian community represented in North Kivu, who briefed him extensively on the current protection challenges in the province. Prior their departure for Kinshasa, on Thursday early afternoon, General Kayembe and General Gaye jointly meet with the media, at MONUC HQ. During this press encounter they addressed many questions raised by local and international media present in the province.
Asked about the non confirmed information that FARDC had a meeting this week in Rwanda with Rwandan authorities, General Kayembe stated that it was true, and that he had nothing to hide on this issue: A delegation, led by him, went to Rwanda, within the frame of the follow up of the Tripartite + meetings, in order to, as planed, reestablish the joint verification mechanism aiming to enable the two countries to jointly check on allegations perpetrated by both sides on border related issues. " I intend to do the same with Ugandan authorities soon, as well as with Burundian too", he said. "We are accusing Rwanda to have sent troops on our territory, and Rwanda is accusing us of collaborating with FDLR. So, this mechanism should enable us to check on those allegations together with our joint team".
Regarding the current situation in North Kivu, General Kayembe recalled that during his recent visit to Goma, early last week, President Kabila announced the prolongation of the deadline given to combatants to proceed to gathering centers in order to be either integrated in the Congolese united army or to be demobilized. "Since this announcement", he stated, "we registered numerous officers and troops elements who proved their sense of patriotism coming to us to proceed to brassage. So far (since first call for joining the brassage was launched) a total of 750 dissidents close to Laurent Nkunda have surrendered, some 500 have already been transferred to brassage centers, while some 200 are currently present in Goma, and will imminently be transfer to Kamina. 800 Mai Mai (Jackson Group) have also gathered in Lubero and will soon be transferred to brassage centers. I am convinced that we will see more coming in the next following days", he said.
When asked why MONUC had set up a gathering camp to host combatants in Kilolirwe, while this camps was actually not announced by Congolese authorities when they presented the list of locations of the gathering centers, in September, General Kayembe stated that MONUC was playing a important role in the restoration of peace in NK and that, by definition, its mandate was the one of a peace keeping force, which most important mission was to restore peace here and protect civilian populations. He recalled that NK was now hosting some 800 000 idps. If MONUC has opened this site, he said, this is to promote the gathering of candidates for brassage, and this is positive.
On this issue, the Force Commander clarified that the most important element about this Kilolirwe camps was that it was expressing the strong will of MONUC to do everything it could to facilitate the gathering of candidates for brassage, without conditions, and with their arms. "Things are evolving constantly", he said, "and if we were told to go to another place, we would do so. We will go wherever asked, in order to support this process".
On Mayi Mayi Kasereka and his group, General Kayembe restated that "FARDC have launched an ultimatum to this renegate, that he has to proceed to the brassage without delay and without conditions. When asked about the exact timing of the ultimatum expiration, General Kayembe said that what was the important element with an ultimatum was actually to see when it was expiring, if there was some good will or not expressed... "Ask me this question again next Sunday", he suggested.
When asked by why the Government did not prevent FDLR and Mayi Mayi to re occupy some areas on the Rutshuru - Ishasa axis, and if it indicated that the Congolese army was collaborating with Mayi Mayi /FDLR, General Kayembe firmly denied any collaboration of FARDC with FDLR and Mayi Mayi groups. "We have clearly asked the foreign militia to disarm and go back to their country, without delay. We have asked the Congolese militia to choose between brassage or demobilization, without delay too. Message remains the same: Only the Congolese army can protect the Congolese populations. Nobody else".
General Kayembe was also asked to clarify about a rumor according to which, 9 Integrated Brigade of FARDC had actually betrayed the Congolese army, and that his Commander, Colonel Smith, would have been arrested, and then released after MONUC put pressure on FARDC, after he had launched an ambush against other FARDC, in support of the dissidents, which would have resulted in the death of 30 FARDC in Rutshuru territory, a few days ago. On this issue, he strongly denied this rumor, stating that was absolutely fake. Colonel Smith was never arrested.
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Asked about the conditions that Nkunda was putting on the table of negotiations before handing over his troops for brassage, General Kayembe restated that President Kabila was clear that there would not be any negotiation with Nkunda, and there is no conditions to put before proceeding his troops to brassage.
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| Copyright © 2007 United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections -- or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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