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DR Congo: top UN official sees impact of fighting on civilians

DR Congo: top UN official sees impact of fighting on civilians

John Holmes, USG for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator
The United Nations humanitarian chief saw first-hand the physical and emotional impact of war on the men, women and children of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), as he visited a local hospital in the strife-torn eastern province of North Kivu today.

Civilians have borne the brunt of the fighting in eastern DRC in recent months. Clashes between Government forces and various rebel groups, such as the National Congress in Defense of the People (CNDP), have uprooted an estimated 250,000 people since late August, on top of the 800,000 already displaced in the region.

More civilians have been uprooted in recent weeks amid an ongoing joint military operation by DRC and Rwanda against the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), an armed Hutu group which has been in eastern DRC since the Rwandan genocide in 1994.

Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs John Holmes saw the devastating impact of crimes committed in the region during a visit to the Heal Africa hospital in Goma, the provincial capital of North Kivu.

Among those the centre treats are disabled children and female victims of sexual violence. The DRC has seen some of the highest levels of sexual violence in the world. “I am shocked that crimes against women are still happening in such large numbers,” said Mr. Holmes.

“We have all agreed more must be done to end this – now is the time to change the culture of impunity, and build the police, prisons and judiciary to deal with this disgraceful situation,” he added.

Mr. Holmes, who is also UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, stressed that Congolese authorities must work harder, in partnership with the international community, to protect civilians.

Also today, Mr. Holmes met with some Rwandan refugees – most of whom arrived after the 1994 genocide – who were preparing to be repatriated to their home country.

There has been a significant increase in the number of refugees who transited through the repatriation centre in Goma, run by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). While just 3,809 Rwandans were repatriated from North Kivu in 2008, 584 have already gone home since the beginning of 2009, and hundreds of others have registered. The figures from South Kivu are even higher.

Mr. Holmes emphasized the need to ensure that their return is both voluntary and receives the proper support. “We also have to work to ensure that the military operation itself does not have dreadful consequences for the civilian population,” he added, referring to the joint Congolese/Rwandan military operation against the FDLR.