DR Congo: UN mission blames militia leader for attacks, gross rights violations
The blame for recent attacks on the United Nations Mission (MONUC) in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), as well as summary executions of civilians, abductions and daily extortion, has been laid at the feet of a recently promoted militia leader, MONUC said today.
"Witnesses and complainants have accused Commander Bosco Ntaganda of committing gross human rights abuses. He is charged, among other things, with the summary executions of two people in Bunia in March 2003, kidnappings, rapes, barbaric acts on civilian populations, daily extortion of people's money and items in Ituri, illegal levying of taxes and other offences," MONUC said.
The Special Representative of the Secretary-General and MONUC head, William Lacy Swing, yesterday called in the leader of the Union of Congolese Patriots (UPC) militia, Thomas Lubanga, and demanded that he put an end to Mr. Ntaganda's attacks on UN forces and local civilians.
Mr. Lubanga appointed Mr. Ntaganda UPC's Army Chief of Staff on 8 December 2003.
UPC militiamen opened fire on UN Pakistani peacekeepers in Nizi, 28 kilometres north of Bunia, yesterday evening. UN helicopters and peacekeepers in Ituri were also attacked by the UPC at Drodro and Iga-Barrière on 19 and 20 January, MONUC said. The 22 militiamen MONUC arrested said Mr. Ntaganda had ordered the attack at Iga-Barrière.
MONUC and the Ituri Interim Institutions found underground UPC detention cells in several areas used for torturing civilians, the Mission said.
Mr. Swing asked Mr. Lubanga to condemn clearly and officially any acts of violence against MONUC and to dissolve any institutions besides the Interim Special Assembly, which is recognized by the DRC's Transitional Government and the UN.
The Mission pledged that it would continue working to protect the civilian population and carry out disarmament activities in Ituri. Plans are currently underway for MONUC to deploy to other parts of the troubled region.