DR CONGO, 28 October 2008: The top United Nations envoy to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has stressed that diplomacy – and not military action – is the only solution to the fighting that has engulfed the volatile far east of the country, as the UN humanitarian wing voiced concern over the impact of the latest violence on civilians.
Fighting resumed in North Kivu province on Saturday evening between Government forces (FARDC) and the militia known as the National Congress for the Defence of the People (CNDP), led by former general Laurent Nkunda.
MONUC is intervening to thwart the CNDP’s attempt to attack the province’s capital Goma and other population centres, according to Alan Doss, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative.
Acting under its mandate to support FARDC in defending civilians, the UN mission has opened fire and used helicopters on CNDP positions, he said today, speaking to reporters in New York via videolink from the DRC.
– What we’ve said all along is that this isn’t a question of winning or losing, Mr. Doss emphasized, underlining that force is not the solution. – What we want is for the CNDP to enter a process and stay in the process and remain committed to agreements they have signed.
There have been incidents of protesters throwing stones against UN property as well an attempt to get into a MONUC base, he said. Shots were fired into the air and he expressed his deep regret that this resulted in one death.
Tuesday night the Security Council strongly condemned the resurgence in fighting and its impact on the civilian population and urged all parties to agree to an immediate ceasefire.
In a press statement read out by Ambassador Zhang Yesui of China, which holds the rotating presidency this month, Council members also called on all sides to adhere to their commitments under two peace accords – one reached in Goma near the start of the year and the other in Nairobi in late 2007 – that were supposed to end the fighting.
As many as 250.000 Congolese have been made homeless since August because of the violence, and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that internally displaced persons (IDPs) in North Kivu number around 850.000, stressing that a constantly-evolving situation means that these figures are only estimates.
Kilde: www.un.org/news
