United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (Kinshasa)
Oscar Mercado
14 January 2009
An important delegation led by Ross Mountain, Deputy Special Representative to the UN Secretary General in the DRC, visited Luberizi military camp north of Uvira in South Kivu province on 13 January 2008.
The camp will accommodate the Mai Mai combatants of the Zabuloni and Shikito groups, who are expected to join the process of Demobilization and Disarmament and Reintegration (DDR) soon.
Mr. Mountain said he was "pleasantly surprised" by the installations of the camp which can already accommodate up to 400 ex-combatants. Other delegation members included the chief of MONUC's South-Kivu office, the commander of MONUC's South Kivu Brigade, as well as the director of the agency USAID and other institutions related to the Amani programme.
Mr. Mountain encouraged the work of Amani Programme coordinator Fr. Malu-Malu with the various armed groups of the area.
"There are meetings and talks which continue in particular with Fr. Malu Malu. It is time for action. The Mai Mai must understand that it is the moment to bring peace to the country and prosperity to their families."
The project of disarmament and demobilization and reintegration of the Maï-Maï groups in South Kivu is managed by the Amani programme, with the financial support of several financial backers including the Netherlands government, which gave a contribution of 2.5 million dollars for the creation of three centers of regrouping and training in the territories of Uvira and Fizi.
Last November South Kivu governor Louis Leonce Muderwha, visited the camp to inspect the installations and to meet the representatives of the Zabuloni and Shikito Mai-Mai groups in Uvira.
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