coupures 29 juin 2007 (eng)

DRC: NGO suspends operations amid increased displacement in the east
KINSHASA, 28 June 2007 (IRIN) - Violence in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has forced non-governmental organisations to limit operations in some areas in North and South Kivu, officials said, even as more people are displaced.

On 25 June, armed men wearing military uniforms attacked two vehicles belonging to Solidarité Internationale in Kisharo in the Rutshuru territory of North Kivu. A vehicle was looted.

Kemal Saiki, spokesman for the UN Mission in Congo (MONUC), said the incident followed a similar one several days earlier in the same area. Attacks against humanitarian actors had also occurred in South Kivu where an NGO storehouse in Uvira was plundered on 20 June.

Regis Mathon, Solidarité's coordinator in eastern DRC, said the recent attack had forced the agency to stop some operations. "We have suspended our activities in Rutshuru territory after this attack," he said, adding that the NGO would, however, remain in other areas of the east. "Our vehicle was attacked by armed men who are hard to identify," he added.

The agency "suspended activities in the area controlled by the troops of dissident [Congolese army] General Laurent Nkunda as security conditions deteriorated", Saiki said on 27 June.

Similar attacks had displaced more civilians in Kiwandja, Nyamilima, Ishasha and Kisharo, all in North Kivu, where 42,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) had gathered since February.
In South Kivu, increased tension due to army operations against fighters of the Forces démocratiques pour la libération du Rwanda (FDLR) and a Congolese militia known as the Rastas had caused more displacement in June.

Saiki said a joint evaluation mission by MONUC and humanitarian actors toured Kisharo, Nyamilima and Ishasha areas last week and noted that almost daily attacks were being committed against civilians, either by the FDLR or by soldiers from the mixed brigades.

In some parts of the two provinces, mixed brigades exist alongside troops loyal to Nkunda, who have not been integrated into the Congolese army. There are also integrated troops and fighters from armed groups, usually foreigners, such as the Rwandan FDLR.

"MONUC deplores these incidents, which are occurring while response mechanisms are being explored between MONUC and the concerned actors," Saiki said.

MONUC, he added, was also concerned about the political manoeuvres of Nkunda’s Congrès National pour la Défense du Peuple (CNDP), because it was pushing civilian authorities to close IDP camps in Kichanga, Mweso in Masisi territory and Nyanzale, Rutshuru territory.

The CNDP was also imposing taxes on the populations and putting in place its own administration. As a result, about 5,000 families displaced from Kisharu, representing an estimated 25,000 people, remain without assistance because of the high risk to aid workers of attacks by armed groups in the area.
Another 2,299 families - 11,495 people - had arrived in Kisharu, Saiki said.

Nkunda, initially a commander in the former rebel movement, Rassemblement Congolais pour la Démocratie (RCD), was integrated into the regular Congolese army but declined to take up his position and continues to stage attacks in the east.

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Theme(s): (IRIN) Conflict, (IRIN) Refugees/IDPs

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DRC Government to Review Oil Exploration Contracts


Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Minister for Hydrocarbons Lambert Mende Omalanga has acknowledged the government's commitment in reviewing oil production and exploration contracts in the West African country.

"The review of oil exploration contracts is a top priority of the Congolese government," the minister said Wednesday during an interview with UN-sponsored Okapi radio, adding the review of these contracts must be conducted in strict
conformity with international standards. He also said the review of contracts will not boost the state budget for the year 2007.

"No one can claim today that a new oil policy could increase the budget significantly and have positive results. This can only be achieved through massive investments, and this takes time," Omalanga said.

He noted that oil revenue represents more than 25 percent of DRC' government budget revenues, and that this figure could increase following the discovery of new oil blocks in the central basin in northwestern province of Equator, and in the western region of Bandundu, as well as in the eastern region of Ituri.

Currently, two American companies, namely, Chevron and PerencoRep, are the only major international petroleum companies working in DRC's coastal city of Muanda in the western region of Bas-Congo, bordering the Atlantic Ocean.

Copyright 2007 XINHUA NEWS AGENCY.
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DRC seeks economic partnership with Zambia


The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) President Joseph Kabila said after arriving at Ndola, central north city of Zambia, that his country is eyeing partnership with Zambia in various economic activities, Zambia Times reported on Friday.
"Congo and Zambia share a long border which is one of the longest in Africa and Copperbelt Province where Ndola is located extends into Congo," Kabila said, "so mining is one of the areas of co-operation that our two countries can embark on."
The visiting DRC President said that Zambia and Congo had many joint projects currently underway, adding that he would use his short visit to discuss other areas of possible economic co- operation with President Mwanawasa.
Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa said it was good that the DRC had emerged from its period of instability. "We are excited at the prospect of peace and stability in Congo which we expect will lead to a better bilateral relationship and trade," he said.
"DR Congo is a huge country with a lot of potential areas of co- operation,"the Zambian president added.
Source: Xinhua
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Leaders of Africa's copper, cobalt heavyweights discuss trade
Africa World News | Home




Lusaka - Democratic Republic of Congo President Joseph Kabila arrived in neighbouring Zambia Thursday evening for a two-day visit aimed at boosting relations between the two resource-rich African countries. "We are excited at the prospect of peace and stability in the DRC which we expect will lead to better bilateral relations and trade, especially with its huge market potential for Zambian goods and services," Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa said after meeting with Kabila on his arrival at Ndola international airport in the Copperbelt region north of the capital Lusaka.

"Congo and Zambia share a long border one of the longest in Africa," Kabila later told Zambian radio, noting there was "great demand for Zambian goods in the Congo."

DR Congo's Katanga and Zambia's Copperbelt are among the world's largest cobalt and copper-producing regions. Both have also recently discovered large uranium deposits.

Talks between the two leaders were thought to have centred on cooperation in the mining sector and on improving transport links between the two central African countries.

Kabila Friday was to open the Zambia International Trade Fair in Ndola.

Copyright © 2007 Respective Author

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Congo-Kinshasa: Monuc Concerned By Increasing Attacks On Civilians and Humanitarians in East



United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (Kinshasa)
27 June 2007
Posted to the web 28 June 2007
Monuc
During the weekly MONUC press conference this Wednesday 27 June 2007, MONUC raised its concerns over the deteriorating security situation in eastern DRC, citing an increase in attacks against the civilian population and humanitarian organisations, particularly in North Kivu province.
In North Kivu, an attack was perpetrated last Monday by armed men in uniform, against two vehicles belonging to an international NGO circulating in the area of Kisharo (Rutshuru territory).
Even if there were no victims, this incident is all the more worrying as it follows another similar attack a few days earlier in the same area - the looting in the night of June 20 of the warehouse of another international NGO in Uvira - also by armed men in uniform.
The humanitarians concerned have for the moment decided to suspend their activities in the zones controlled by the troops of the dissident general Nkunda, because of the deteriorating security conditions.
Also in North Kivu, MONUC's Civil Affairs division carried out a joint evaluation mission in the past week in the localities of Kisharo, Nyamilima and Ishasha, whose objective was to evaluate the security conditions of the civilian population, in particular the displaced on the Ngwenda - Ishasha axis.
The mission noted that almost daily attacks were made against civilians by the FDLR or the soldiers of the mixed FARDC Brigades deployed in the area, attacks which caused concentrations of displaced people in Kiwanja, Nyamilima and Ishasha, Kisharo, where nearly 42,000 people have gathered since last February.
Furthermore in North Kivu, MONUC's Civil Affairs division worries about the operations of the CNDP, the political structure of general Nkunda, who is pressurising the civil authorities to close the displaced people's camps - in Kichanga, Mweso (Masisi territory) and Nyanzale (Rutshuru territory), to impose taxes on the population, and set up its own administration.
The Red Cross and the NGO CEPAC (the Community Pentecost churches in Congo) announced a shift in population since April 2007 towards Kasugho in the southern part of Lubero territory. They also announce confrontations between two Mayi Mayi groups - "la Fontaine" and "Jackson". The inhabitants of the villages located at the west of Kasugho, where elements of the FDLR are located, are leaving their villages because of exactions.
In addition, according to the Red Cross and CEPAC reports, the FDLR sexually abuse women, and plunder harvests, houses, and cattle. A mission of evaluation in Kasugho is being prepared.
Following reports of a rise of tension in Kitshanga (Masisi territory) and Nyazale (Rutshuru territory), an evaluation mission was carried out by OCHA and MONUC's Civil Affairs Division. The mission confirms that the CNDP demands the closing of displaced persons camps, accusing them of sheltering FDLR elements.
Moreover, more than 5,000 former displaced households in Kisharu still did not receive assistance because of the high risk of looting and attacks that persists in the area. In the past three weeks, 2,299 households fled the insecurity caused by the FDLR and the Bravo brigade.
In South Kivu, due to joint operations led by the FARDC against FDLR/Rasta, humanitarians in South Kivu estimate that 18,000 people have been displaced since June, although these figures have not been confirmed.
According to official sources in Itombwe and Basimukindji, in the territory of Mwenga, several children, including girls, are exploited as carriers in the cassiterite and gold mines in Miki, Kapanga, Makenda, Kasenge and Tulambo.
These children are subjected to the transport of mining products and other goods on a distance of 120 kms from surroundings areas, which they traverse in two days of walking. Young girls are also sexually exploited during the course of this work.
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Congo-Kinshasa: Monuc - The Government Has to Extend Its Authority Throughout the Entire Territory



United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (Kinshasa)
INTERVIEW
28 June 2007
Posted to the web 28 June 2007
Eoin Young
Mr. Peter Swarbrick, who has been director, since mid 2002, of MONUC's Disarmament, Demobilisation, Repatriation, Resettlement and Reintegration (DDRRR) division for foreign combatants in the DRC, is leaving the mission. We spoke to him about his impressions of the DDRRR process over the years, the main challenges for the FARDC in the east, and MONUC's plans for the remaining foreign combatants in DRC.
For how long have you been in the MONUC mission?
I joined this mission in July 2001, so that makes it nearly six years, and I've been head of DDRRR for most of that time. I started out as director of political affairs and then as director of the separate DDRRR division, as it was, in mid 2002.
What's your impression, over the years, of the DDRRR process?
I think it's been very successful actually, it's a success that has not been exploited as much as it could have been. When we came here we were told that there was 40,000 to 50,000 interahamwe, spread all across the country, that were perceived as being extremely violent and deadly jungle fighters. They were also perceived as a standing military threat to their countries of origin, primarily Rwanda, but also to MONUC.
That may have been true at the time, but we found out that this was no longer the case. We did a report for the Security Council in April 2002 that found that there were only approximately 17,500 foreign combatants, primarily Rwandan, in the DRC, overwhelmingly concentrated in North and South Kivu.
Except for Kamina, in Katanaga province, where there was about 3,000 Rwandan combatants already cantoned and disarmed by the government, there was no significant presence of foreign combatants outside the Kivus.
Having established that there were approximately 17,000 to 18,000 foreign combatants in the country, we then proceeded to repatriate more than half of those. As of this week, we don't think there are more than 6,000 foreign combatants left, mostly concentrated in North Kivu.
We have repatriated just under 15,000 people to their countries of origin - Uganda and Rwanda - including 3,200 Burundese combatants that went back by themselves, as part of the peace process which happily succeeded in Burundi.
What are the main challenges for the FARDC in Ituri and the Kivus?
The job of the government now, including the FARDC, is to extend its authority throughout the entire territory of the DRC, which of course has not been the case for many, many years.
Speaking of the government, rather than the FARDC, because it's the government's sovereign right and duty to do that- it has to protect its civilian population, guard its borders and look after its natural resources, and a properly functioning and properly trained and armed FARDC is an integral part of that.
Obviously the government has the right to use force in certain legitimate ways, especially against armed groups as necessary, however there are other non military ways of dealing with it, which I hope the government is exploring.
The remaining foreign militias still pose a problem to the security of the DRC. What specific plan does MONUC have?
The foreign combatants who remain do indeed pose a significant security threat to the immediate Congolese civilian population, as we have seen particularly in South Kivu, where you have the Rasta phenomenon.
I don't know to what extent the Rastas and the FDLR are separate from each other, there are conflicting opinions on this, but certainly in parts of South Kivu, they behave differently from the way they behave in North Kivu, so one can see a practical distinction on the ground.
As to what specific plan MONUC has, we have the general mandate, under chapter 7, to protect the civilian population, but its a lot more difficult to implement on the ground, because of the huge distances involved and the lack of roads. Even with two brigades, we cannot possibly be everywhere, and anticipate all threats to the civilian population.
We have also the more general mandate from the Security Council to assist the Congolese government. It's rather for the government, in the exercise of its sovereign right and duty, to control all parts of the country, and to propose to MONUC ways in which they think the international community and MONUC can assist.
This might possibly include the use of military means, and for that I think they would need to produce a military plan for MONUC to review and to figure out how, under the mandate, and with the means and dispositions that we have, how MONUC could legally assist the government, although I'm not aware that there has been such a plan.
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