7 July 2009
The security and humanitarian situation in the far east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) continues to crumble, despite the recent signing of a peace pact between the Government and a key militia, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon writes in a new report.
On 23 March, the Government and the National Congress for People's Defence (CNDP), one of the main combatants in the fighting, signed a peace accord.
But the report made public today, which covers the period since the end of March, points to new challenges, "which further increase the fragility and volatility of the situation" in the area.
The obstacles include the capacity and conduct of the newly-integrated units of the DRC forces, known as FARDC, in North and South Kivu provinces, it said, with many troops being unpaid, poorly trained and badly equipped.
Command and control of FARDC units is also fragile, resulting in stepped up desertions, mutinies and "a surge in unacceptable abuses against the very populations that these forces are expected to protect," Mr. Ban wrote.
There are some 1.7 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) in eastern DRC, with 500,000 having been uprooted since this January due to clashes between the FARDC and the rebel Democratic Liberation Forces of Rwanda (FDLR).
But he pointed out that 350,000 displaced have been able to return to their homes in North Kivu.
Notwithstanding this positive development, the Secretary-General said that the human rights situation is still cause for grave concern.
Members of the FARDC and the Congolese National Police are responsible for rape and torture, among other abuses, while members of foreign armed groups such as the FDLR and the notorious Ugandan group known as the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) are responsible for massacres of civilians, sexual violence and arbitrary executions.
Another major obstacle continues to be addressing impunity, requiring the efforts of the highest levels of Government to bring those behind human rights and other abuses to justice, the report said.
To this end, the UN peacekeeping mission in the DRC, known as MONUC, is creating an action plan to ensure that the Government agrees on a strategy to combat sexual violence.
Also made public today was a report by the Security Council mission which visited the African Union (AU) at its headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Rwanda, the DRC and Liberia from 14-21 April.
The Council called on the Governments in the region, especially the DRC and Rwanda, "to continue to build on the positive momentum created by their recent improved relations and to continue to take measures aimed at building confidence between them and laying the foundations for sustainable regional cooperation."
The body also welcomed the appointment of a Rwandan ambassador to the DRC, urging the DRC in turn to expedite its appointment of an ambassador to Rwanda.
On sexual and gender-based violence, the Government must take decisive action to address confirmed abuses by FARDC soldiers, the report said, including following on the list of five officers in commanding positions assessed to have carried out such crimes.
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"There is no excuse for missing to pay salaries to soldiers in a lawless eastern Congo for six months" Following the deteriorating situation in east Congo, the MJPC called today for the Congolese Government to urgently pay the salaries to thousands of soldiers who have not been paid for over six months in eastern Congo, take swift action to enforce the International Criminal Court's (ICC) warrant against Bosco Ntaganda and to hold accountable perpetrators of sexual violence against women for their acts.
"Failing to hold accountable individuals who commit war crimes and crimes against humunity continues to be the leading cause of widespread and systematic sexual violence acts against girls and women in the easten Congo" said Makuba Sekombo, Community Affairs Director of the Mobilization for Justice and Peace in the DR Congo (MJPC). Mr. Sekombo again criticized the government of Congo for not only the continuing failure to protect women and young girls from sexual violence, but also for "encouraging conditions that create opportunities for sexual violence to occur". "There is no excuse for missing to pay salaries to soldiers in a lawless eastern Congo for six months" said Sekombo.
The MJPC has also renewed its call for the Congolese government to take urgent needed action to end human rights abuses in east Congo, hold perpetrators accountable and ensure reparation for the victims of sexual violence. The MJPC has been urging the Congolese government to compensate the victims of sexual violence in order to also help combat impunity in eastern part of Congo where sexual violence against women and children has been widely used as weapon of war for more than decade. The MJPC online petition calling for for help to put pressure on Congolese Government to compensate victims of sexual siolence in Eastern DRC can be signed at http://www.gopetition.com.au/online/26180.html About MJPC MJPC works to add a voice in advocating for justice and peace in the DRC particulary in the east of DRC where thousands innocent civilian including children and women continue to suffer massive human rights violations while armed groups responsible for these crimes go unpunished For more information about the MJPC and its activities, visit http://www.mjpcongo.org. or call Makuba Sekombo @ 1-408-8063-644 or e-mail: info@mjpcongo.org. The online petition calling on the Congolese Government to put urgently in place a comprehensive program of compensation for the victims of sexual violence in eastern Congo can be signed at http://www.gopetition.com.au/online/26180.html