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The Congo Global Action Coalition sent a letter to US Secretary of State, Condeleeza Rice, on April 5 asking the the US offer continued support to the UN mission in the Congo (MONUC). The letter, found below, emphasizes the important role MONUC has played in helping make possible the recent democratic elections. Given the fragility of the situation in the DRC, it is imperative that MONUC be given the resources and political support to continue its mission of stabilization and protection of human rights. MONUC's current mandate ends on April 15, 2007.
April 5, 2007
Dr. Condoleezza Rice
Secretary of State
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington, D.C.
20520
Re US Support for MONUC Post-transition Mandate
Dear Secretary Rice:
As members of the Congo Global
Action coalition - a collection of humanitarian,
human rights, environmental and faith-based organizations, students, Congolese
Diaspora and grassroots organizations making up half a million people – we
write to you today to urge US support to the Congolese people by maintaining a
substantial and effective peacekeeping force in the DRC.
The United Nations
Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo, known as MONUC,
played an instrumental role in helping the Congolese people with the first
democratic elections in the Congo
since 1960. MONUC has reduced fighting
and organized violence, and increased humanitarian access and freedom of
movement for the population. As the DRC
still faces major security and governance challenges - as demonstrated by
recent fighting in Kinshasa,
and continued intermittent fighting, killings, rapes, and pillaging - now is
not the time to downsize MONUC or weaken its mandate.
Under UN Security Council
resolution 1742, MONUC’s mandate was extended until April 15, 2007. During this
interim review period, the Secretary General recently completed the
twenty-third report on the United Nations Organization Mission in the
Democratic Republic of Congo.
We agree with many of the Secretary General’s
recommendations and urge the USG to approve the following elements of MONUC’s
post-transition mandate:
Building a stable security environment
- MONUC will remain at its current authorized
strength of 17,030 peacekeepers, 760 military observers, 391 police
advisers, and six FPU until at least December 31, 2007 and until the
security and political conditions significantly improve. This
is critical especially in Ituri, the Kivus and Katanga where the majority of
intermittent fighting between armed groups continues.
- MONUC will conduct short-term training of
integrated brigades on conduct of joint operations, including human rights
training. This is the first step to
a comprehensive human rights training program for the integrated Congolese
army which is needed to reduce the incidents of violence against the most
vulnerable populations, especially gender-based violence and sexual
exploitation and violence against children.
Consolidating democracy
- MONUC will assist the Congolese Government in
strengthening democratic institutions and processes and will play a role
in promoting good governance and accountability. It
is important to support the nascent democratic processes and institutions
by working with the Congolese government to protect and enhance the
achievements of the peace process and advancing good governance practices
in state institutions.
Reforming the Security Sector
- MONUC will support an assessment team to
establish benchmarks, most importantly on security sector reform, and
report back to Security Council in November, 2007. Benchmarks
for the security sector reform must include military, policing and
judiciary reform involving donors and relevant Congolese actors.
Protecting human rights
- MONUC will continue monitoring human rights
abuses, strengthen national and civil society capacity in the area of
human rights, ensure those responsible for serious human rights violations
are brought to justice, and assist the Congolese Government in ending
impunity. In order to move forward with reconciliation perpetrators of
serious crimes, beginning with the worst offenders, must be brought to
justice.
Protecting civilians
- MONUC will prioritize stabilizing the security
situation and protecting civilians as core elements of its Chapter VII
mandate. Protection of civilians is crucial as summary executions, mass
arbitrary arrests, ill-treatment and torture of civilians, beatings and
widespread rape continue to be committed, mainly by security service
personnel.
Unfortunately, the Secretary General’s report did not
emphasize enough the following critical elements of MONUC’s post-transition
mandate:
- MONUC should help promote dialogue with Congo’s
neighbors and support the implementation of joint polices and regional
agreements, notably in relation to the challenges of Disarmament,
Demobilization, Repatriation, Resettlement and Reintegration (DDRRR) of
foreign armed groups.
- MONUC should work with the World Bank and Donors
to improve the Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) process,
especially in reintegrating Congolese combatants, many of who are
disgruntled and causing unrest in the country. DDR programs should be part of a wider
program benefiting host communities in order to reduce conflict potential
at the village level since members of host communities tend to live in
greater poverty than demobilized combatants.
- MONUC should provide strategic and operational
support, where possible, to the Congolese government who must have the
political will to combat the illicit exploitation of natural resources and
violations of the arms embargo.
As the Secretary General’s
report highlights, the key to restoration and consolidation of peace in the DRC
is progress in the security sector reform.
An exit strategy for MONUC must be linked to demonstrable progress beginning
with a clear reduction in the levels of abuses committed by the security forces
themselves, and the basic ability of the military, police, and judicial sectors
to defend civilians from internal and external threats.
Without this appropriate
sequencing of MONUC’s scale down, the international community will imperil the
fragile peace and progress towards post-conflict recovery that has been
achieved over the past few years.
Sincerely,
Africa Faith and Justice Network
Centre De Reflexion Du Katanga
Claremont Students for Peace and Justice
Coalition Pluralist des
Patriotes Congolais (COPPAC)
Congolese Lobby for Peace,
Democracy, Human Rights and Development
Congo Coalition
Dignity, Inc.
En Avant Congo
Friends of the Congo
HandUp Congo
Initiatives Femmes-Enfants et
Development
International Rescue
Committee
Open Society Policy Center
Oxfam America
Pole Pole Foundation
Resolve Uganda
Run for Congo Women
The Bayindo Group SA
United Hope Africa
United Methodist
Church, General Board of
Church and Society
CC: Kristin
Silverberg, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of International Organization Affairs
Jendayi
Frazer, Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs
Ellen Sauerbrey, Assistant Secretary for Population,
Refugees and Migration
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