Wende in Ostkongo

Die letzten Meldungen der UNO über Ost-Kongo

Security Council ‘strongly condemns’ rebel attacks against UN mission in DR Congo

28 October 2013 – The Security Council today condemned “in the strongest terms” the attacks by M23 rebels against the United Nations Mission in North Kivu in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), resulting in the death of a Tanzanian peacekeeper.

In a statement to the press, the members of the Security Council expressed their condolences to the family of the peacekeeper killed in the attack, as well as to the Government of Tanzania and to the UN mission, known by the French acronym, MONUSCO.

Council members also called on the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo swiftly to investigate the incident and bring the perpetrators to justice.

“They also expressed their condolences for the loss of civilian lives in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and in Rwanda following shells landing on its territory,” the statement says, stressing that the members of the Council reiterated their full support for MONUSCO and called on all parties to cooperate fully with the mission.

The Council in its statement echoes a similar expression of condemnation by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon who yesterday pledged the Organization's ongoing commitment to take “all necessary actions” to protect civilians in the country.

According to UN chief’s statement, the attacks occurred as MONUSCO supported action being carried out by Congolese Government Forces (FARDC) to protect civilians on the Kiwanja-Rutshuru axis, 25 kilometres north of Goma, which the main city in the vast country's eastern region.

Further to the statement, Mr. Ban said the UN remains committed to taking all necessary actions in line with Security Council resolution 2098 (2013) to protect civilians in eastern DRC.

By that resolution, adopted in late March, the Council approved the creation of its first-ever “offensive” combat force, intended to carry out targeted operations to “neutralize and disarm” the notorious M23, as well as other Congolese rebels and foreign armed groups in the east.

In the past year, clashes have continued sporadically throughout the DRC's eastern region, with rebels briefly occupying Goma, in November 2012. The fighting has displaced more than 100,000 people, exacerbating an ongoing humanitarian crisis in the region which includes 2.6 million internally displaced persons and 6.4 million in need of food and emergency aid.

UN News Centre, 28 October 2013; www.un.org

DR Congo: UN mission chief deplores atrocities committed by armed group in eastern province

26 October 2013 – Strongly condemning the “unimaginable atrocities” committed by the Mayi-Mayi Cheka armed group during a spate of recent attacks in which some 34 civilian were brutally killed in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the top United Nations official in the country today warned against impunity for such acts and urged the group to immediately lay down its weapons.

"These atrocities are unimaginable and are contradicting the values of humanity. This must have consequences. There cannot be impunity for such atrocious acts,” declared Martin Kobler, head of the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the DRC, known as MONUSCO.

In a press release issued this morning, the Mission and its chief strongly condemned multiple attacks over the past few weeks perpetrated by elements of the Mayi-Mayi Cheka armed group, in some instances jointly with Raïa Mutomboki combatants, in several villages of the territory of Masisi in the restive eastern Congolese province of North-Kivu.

According to MONUSCO, at least 34 civilians, including 20 children, were brutally killed by the Mayi-Mayi Cheka elements in the different attacks in the eastern region.

“I urge the Mayi-Mayi Cheka to immediately abandon weapons and to stop manipulating different ethnic groups for personal interest", said Mr. Kobler.

The Mission says that its investigations have helped to confirm extra-judicial mass executions of civilians, particularly children aged between 6 months and 17 years, “as well as other gross human rights violations which may constitute crimes under international law, including crimes against humanity, committed during these different attacks.”

In one example, MONUSCO notes that on 27 September, Mayi-Mayi Cheka elements, in collaboration with Raïa Mutomboki combatants, attacked Lwibo village, killing at least 16 people, including 14 children, and burning and destroying 185 houses.

UN News Centre, 26 October 2013; www.un.org

DR Congo: UN mission on ‘high alert’ following clashes between Government, armed groups

25 October 2013 – The United Nations stabilization mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is on “high alert” following early morning clashes between Congolese Government forces and M23 rebels in the vast country’s restive eastern region.

UN spokesperson Martin Nesirky said that the mission – known by the acronym MONUSCO – reported that early today, the Congolese army (FARDC) and M23 exchanged mortar and machine gun fire near Kibumba, around 15 km north of the flashpoint city of Goma.

The UN mission reported that, “approximately 5,000 civilians from Kibumba crossed the border into Rwanda this morning.”

As the fighting continues, MONUSCO continues to closely monitor the situation, the UN spokesman added.

The Mission is carrying out aerial reconnaissance of the area and has also asked that the Extended Joint Verification Mechanism investigates reports of a shell landing in Kageyo, Rwanda, he said.

In the past year, clashes have continued sporadically throughout the DRC's eastern region, with rebels briefly occupying the main city, Goma, in November 2012. The fighting has displaced more than 100,000 people, exacerbating an ongoing humanitarian crisis in the region which includes 2.6 million internally displaced persons and 6.4 million in need of food and emergency aid.

UN News Centre, 25 October 2013; www.un.org