United Nations Radio


Congo: civilians pay high price for army integration

10/07/2009
Alan Doss, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC) told the United Nations Security Council on Friday that progress was being made in dislodging foreign armed groups like the FDLR from Rwanda and the LRA from Uganda, but civilians were paying the price. "The spate of reprisal attacks by the FDLR and the LRA has caused new population displacements and serious human rights violation by these armed groups as well as by undisciplined FARDC soliders which has created growing apprehension in the DRC and in the international community. We take these concerns very seriously and have addressed them with the government at various levels." In addition, the integration of armed militia groups was done very quickly to respond to political imperatives with ill trained and badly equipped government troops and that has resulted in other disciplinary problems with the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, FARDC. To make the area safer for the people living in the region, MONUC has deployed more resources and personnel to the affected provinces. Alan Doss also highlighted the UN agency's efforts to fight sexual violence, a serious problem in Eastern Conggo. Jocelyne Sambira, United Nations Radio. (duration: 1'20")

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