United Nations Radio

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, expressed deep consternation Tuesday about a continuous stream of gross human rights abuses committed by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

She has also expressed concern that the current joint operation by Congolese and Rwandan government forces against rebels may endanger civilians.

a boy in the Congo

In a statement, Ms. Pillay says "the violations committed by the LRA are grotesque."
She says she's "also concerned that the joint military counter-operations, unless properly planned and executed, could lead to further human rights abuses being perpetrated against the civilian population who are, in effect, caught between the conflicting parties."

The High Commissioner called on all parties in the various conflicts in the troubled eastern part of the DRC (Democratic Republic of the Congo) to respect human rights and international humanitarian law and called for accountability measures to be included in efforts by the international community to bring about a peaceful settlement of the crisis.

In December 2008, the Congolese, Ugandan and Sudanese armies launched joint operations targeting LRA bases in Orientale Province, in the far north-east of the DRC. The military action followed the failure of LRA leader Joseph Kony to sign an agreement to end his rebellion against the Ugandan Government.

This is Donn Bobb reporting for United Nations Radio.
(duration: 1'16")