UN / DR CONGO WRAP

UN Special Representative for the Democratic Republic of Congo Alan Doss tells Council members that action being taken to dismantle armed groups operating in the eastern DRC has raised concerns, especially about the humanitarian impact on civilians. UNTV / FILE

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:01:53
• Production Date: 10 July 2009
• Asset Language: Original
• Corporate Name: UNITED NATIONS OBSERVER MISSSION IN THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO - MONUC; UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES - UNHCR; WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME - WFP
• Subject Topical: POLITICAL AFFAIRS; LAW; INTERNATIONAL LAW; POLITICAL CONDITIONS; PEACE AND SECURITY; HUMANITARIAN RELIEF
• Geographic Subject: DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO
• MAMS Id: U090710c

Description

STORY: UN / DR CONGO WRAP
TRT: 1.53
SOURCE: UNTV/ MONUC / UNHCR/ WFP
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 10 JULY 2009, NEW YORK CITY / FILE

Shotlist

RECENT 2009, NEW YORK CITY

1. Wide shot, exterior United Nations headquarters

10 JULY 2009, NEW YORK CITY

2. Wide shot, Security Council meeting
3. Cutaway, delegates
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Alan Doss, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC):
“The military must sanction soldiers found guilty of crimes involving sexual violence, and by holding commanders responsible for the behavior of their troops. President Kabila has declared a ‘zero tolerance’ policy in this respect and instructed the Minister of Defense to personally meet with all commanders in the field to underline their personal accountability for troops under their command.”
5. Cutaway, delegates
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Alan Doss, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC):
“For the country as a whole, the economic situation remains difficult. Several partners, including IMF, the World Bank, and the European Union have extended emergency assistance to the DRC to help it weather the current financial crisis. However, in order to capitalize effectively on this support, the Government should take decisive action to improve the management of public finances and to address the continuing lack of transparency and accountability, which has seriously hampered socio0-economic recovery.”
7. Wide shot, Security Council
8. Wide shot, press conference
9. Cutaway, journalists
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Alan Doss, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC):
“The level of incidents (armed groups) has dropped, but they haven’t disappeared by any means, and the LRA is still I’m afraid there, presence scattered, dispersed, but still quite a lethal force on time and therefore we must continue our efforts. I think we recognize above all that there isn’t a single solution here, it will require a combination of efforts to deal with the challenges of protection to deal with the problems of integration of thee new armed groups. You progress in one area and sometimes you create problems in others, the integration of these armed militias has been done very quickly to meet political imperatives and that in turn has created other problems in particular the behavior of the armed forces which has been a serious concern.”
11. Wide shot, press conference

FILE – MONUC – 14 APRIL 2009, NORTH KIVU, DR CONGO

12. Wide shot, people in market
13. Med shot, UN soldier in market

FILE – UNHCR – 8, 7 MAY 2009, DR CONGO

14. Various shots, camp
15. Med shot, peacekeepers patrolling

FILE – WFP – 26 MAY NORTH EASTERN DR CONGO

16. Various shots, huts burned during recent attacks
17. Various shots, people who were still the village

Storyline

Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Alan Doss said that action being taken to dismantle armed groups operating in the eastern DRC had raised concerns, especially about the humanitarian impact on civilians.

Briefing the Security Council today, Doss said a spate of reprisal attacks by fighters from the Forces Démocratiques de Libération du Rwanda (FDLR) and the Lords Resistance Army (LRA) had caused new civilian displacements and serious human rights violations by these armed groups.

The UN mission in the DRC (MONUC) had sought to enhance the protection of civilians by deploying more resources and personnel to the affected provinces, Doss said. He highlighted the mission’s fight against sexual and gender-based violence.

In this regard, MONUC had welcomed this week’s announcement by the Armed Forces of the DRC of a zero tolerance policy towards the perpetrators of criminal acts or undisciplined behaviour within its ranks.

Doss stressed that respect for humanitarian law and human rights by the FARDC was an important prerequisite for MONUC's support to current operations.

Later at a press conference, Doss told reporters that although the level of incidents of (armed groups) had dropped, they hadn’t disappeared and that the LRA was still there. He said it would require a combination of efforts to deal with the challenges of protection and of integration of thee new armed groups.