United Nations Radio

United Nations Human Rights Council has strongly condemned acts of violence and human rights violations being perpetrated against the civilian population in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The Council, which has been holding a special session in Geneva to address the deteriorating human rights situation in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, said it was appalled by acts of sexual violence against women and girls and the recruitment of child soldiers by rebel groups. In a resolution unanimously adopted at the end of the special session, the Human Rights Council voiced its support for a stronger mandate for the UN peacekeeping mission in Congo, MONUC, in order to increase its capacity to protect civilians, restore peace, security and stability and address the dire humanitarian situation in the North Kivu province.

Badr Hisham is the Permanent Representative of Egypt to the United Nations office in Geneva.

"Operative 5, which is also a cornerstone of this resolution which condemns the acts of violence and the violations and abuses in Kivu, in particular sexual violence, and the recruitment of militia soldiers and stresses the importance of bringing all perpetrators to justice. Operative 9 calls upon the international community to interalia address the root causes of the conflict, including illicit exploitation of natural resources and the establishment of militias that are the basis of human rights violations."

The resolution also called on all parties to the conflict to facilitate humanitarian assistance and to support efforts to establish humanitarian corridors in the region. More than 250,000 people have been driven from their homes since fighting erupted between Congolese forces and Tutsi rebel General Laurent Nkunda in August.

Patrick Maigua UN Radio Geneva

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