UN mission in DR Congo says no more logistical support suspensions

By GEMA and Shu Shi KINSHASA, Nov. 13 (Xinhua) -- The UN mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has pledged no more suspensions of logistical support after putting on halt the backing to a Congolese army unit for involvement in civilian killing. "It will not be a good sign to increase logistical support suspensions from MONUC to FARDC," the commandant of the Force of UN mission in Congo (MONUC), general Babacar Gaye, declared on Wednesday in Kinshasa during the weekly press briefing. General Gaye made this pronouncement in reaction to a number of Congolese commentaries, particularly from certain officials of the Democratic Republic of Congo's armed forces (FARDC) following the suspension of logistical support by MONUC to the 213th brigade of the FARDC, which is based in Lukweti, North Kivu province. General Gaye pointed out that this suspension had a symbolic value. "I think that if we increase the suspensions of support to the FARDC, it will not paint a good picture. That will mean ... a signal of policy. Therefore, we shall continue to work in partnership with the FARDC," Gaye explained. He said the decision to suspend the logistical support to the 213th FARDC brigade "was not taken by Alan Doss, the special representative of the UN secretary general to the DRC. "We are supposed to help the FARDC and as we work with the FARDC, we must always make them conform to the conditions under which this aid is given by 100 percent. We are not guided by a repressive attitude," general Gaye pointed out. During his visit to the DRC on Nov. 2, the UN's deputy secretary general in charge of peace keeping missions, Alain Le Roy, announced the suspension of logistical support from MONUC soldiers to the 213th brigade of the FARDC based at Lukweti. The UN official linked the soldiers of this brigade to the massacres of at least 62 civilians between May and September in their region, citing preliminary reports of an inquiry thrown by the MONUC office in charge of human rights. INSECURITY IN ITURI Elsewhere, general Gaye acknowledged during this press conference that there was increased insecurity in the district of Ituri in Orientale province, in reference to the recent assassination of a priest in Nyakasanza. He condemned the attacks as banditry acts perpetrated against civilians in the past weeks in this district, calling for combined efforts to defeat insurgency in Ituri to salvage the peace achievements accomplished in the district over the past five years. He appealed "to everybody to come to the aid of Ituri," while asking the Congolese judicial authorities to punish perpetrators of insecurity." TRACKING DOWN FDLR On the fight against the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda in the DRC, Gaye said close to 35 percent of its combatants have been neutralized since the launch of the operation to hunt them down in North Kivu. He noted the FDLR strongholds were destroyed and that what was required was a new approach to combat the remaining pockets of these rebels who attack civilians and then escape. To this end, he suggested that the zones being affected by the FDLR be occupied by the FARDC to force the rebels into inhospitable areas. "The operations of MONUC alongside FARDC in North Kivu and South Kivu provinces and also Orientale province has recorded considerable achievements," Gaye declared. Currently, MONUC supplies daily food rations to 27,000 FARDC soldiers engaged in three operations including Rudia II, Ironestone and Kimia II. The support costs an average 837,000 U. S. dollars every month. In provinces of North Kivu and South Kivu, MONUC feeds 16,000 FARDC soldiers, spending a monthly 496,000 dollars. Besides that, MONUC supplies the Congolese army with 37,000 litres of petrol per month, MONUC sources indicated.

Editor: Li Xianzhi