Congo: U.N. Monitors Needed [HRW Press Release]

[Congosol - servizio informazioni <congosol@neomedia.it>]

====================================================
source:
Human Rights Watch, Africa Division
====================================================



For Immediate Release

Congo: U.N. Monitors Needed

(New York, March 28, 2002)
Human Rights Watch called on the U.N. Human Rights Commission meeting 
today in Geneva to increase the number of monitors reporting on the 
ongoing war in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The U.N. Special Rapporteur on the situation of Human Rights in the 
Democratic Republic of Congo makes her report to the commission today.

"All the words in the world do little to help the victims suffering 
daily from this deadly war"
said Alison Des Forges, senior adviser on the Great Lakes in the 
Africa division of Human Rights Watch.
"But more monitors in the field could deter some of the worst abuses 
against civilians.
By documenting crimes, outside observers make justice possible and 
may even make killers and rapists think twice before targeting 
civilians."

The Field Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights has 
some 20 human rights officers in the Congo, but too few to monitor 
abuses throughout the vast territory.

A U.N. peacekeeping force known as MONUC also has positions allocated 
for human rights observers, but some of them remain vacant.
In addition, observers from the two systems fail to coordinate their 
actions effectively.

Human Rights Watch urged the Human Rights Commission to allocate more 
funds for monitors and to press the Security Council to recruit and 
deploy monitors assigned to MONUC as rapidly as possible, 
particularly in the troubled eastern Congo.
The Security Council should also direct child protection and 
humanitarian advisers as well as human rights monitors attached to 
MONUC to accompany military observers into areas of conflict.

Although the ceasefire established by the Lusaka Agreement has ended 
fighting along the frontlines, soldiers of the Congolese, Rwandan, 
and Ugandan armies as well as a number of armed groups continue 
military operations in the eastern Congo far distant from the front 
lines.
Civilians are regularly targeted in these clashes.

In recent months in the Ugandan-held areas of northeastern Congo, 
thousands of civilians have died and tens of thousands more been 
displaced in clashes between Hema and Lendu ethnic militia.
Fighting between the Congolese Rally for Democracy-Liberation 
Movement (RCD-ML) and its rival, the Movement for the Liberation of 
Congo (MLC) has aggravated the situation, as has interference by 
Ugandan soldiers.

In the Rwandan-dominated region of South Kivu, Congolese Tutsi known 
as Banyamulenge are fighting against the Rwandan army and its local 
ally, the Congolese Rally for Democracy-Goma (RCD-Goma).
Some people of the Bambembe and Bafulero groups reportedly have 
joined the Banyamulenge to challenge Rwandans, whom they regard as an 
occupying army and the RCD-Goma.
On March 20 the insurgents ousted RCD-Goma troops from the area of Minembwe.
Local sources report that Rwandan reinforcements have moved to the 
area, perhaps to assist the RCD-Goma in trying to retake the region.

"Denouncing these horrors is not enough"
said Des Forges.
"The U.N. must find the resources and the political will to put 
monitors out there so that abusers will be known and can be held 
accountable for their crimes."



For more information, please contact:
In Geneva, Juliane Kippenberg: +41-79-202-3285
In New York, Suliman Baldo: +1-212-216-1297
In Washington, Janet Fleischman: +1-202-612-4325

Human Rights Watch Africa Division
Phone: +1-212-216-1834 (direct)
Fax: +1-212-736-1300
http://hrw.org/africa/index.php




====================================================
Servizio informazioni Congosol
http://www.neomedia.it/personal/Congosol/1.html

The material contained in this communication may not be taken always 
to reflect the views of the Service.
Willing to offer you these informations quickly, the Service makes 
the choice of being not always able to verify them, and couldn't be 
held responsible for the accuracy of the original sources.
We apologize for any cross posting.
====================================================