Press statement on eastern DRC by Ms. Valerie Amos, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, 09 March 2011, Goma

I arrived in Goma today. I flew over the beautiful landscape of this province, and landed to find an immensely difficult reality confronting people on the ground.

Almost every week, armed men attack villages throughout North Kivu - often looting, raping, maiming, killing, kidnapping, and burning villages before leaving. These atrocities force entire communities to flee, sometimes many times, relying on humanitarian assistance for their survival.

An estimated 1.3 million people, who fled these atrocities, are displaced in North and South Kivu. They face a life of fear on a daily basis. It is no surprise that most of the fertile land is not cultivated.

Ongoing and systematic sexual violence is one aspect of the crisis. It destroys the dignity of the victims and of entire families and communities. Those responsible must be brought to justice.

Stopping abuse against civilians is essential not only for their fundamental well-being, but also to prevent further displacement and allow them to return home. Humanitarian assistance can save lives and alleviate suffering, but the root causes of this crisis must be addressed. The conflict must end.

While the Government is ultimately responsible for protecting its citizens, the international community complements these efforts. Humanitarian workers contribute significantly to protection of civilians through their presence - which can act as a deterrent against attacks - and through forceful advocacy. While we already do a lot, we must do more.

Regional stability is an essential condition for peace in the DRC, and continued conflict and insecurity in the DRC can contribute to instability beyond its borders.

The Kivu crisis is a threat to peace, security, and prosperity in Central Africa and beyond. We can continue to save lives by providing humanitarian aid, but for the future prosperity of this country and its people, a political solution is required.

Q: You spoke about the humanitarian aid provided by the international community to the displaced people, and you said that the crisis in Congo has deep causes and that these causes must be addressed first. How do you think these causes must be addressed ? You also said that the crisis in the Kivus is a threat to peace. In your opinion, what would be the political solution?

A: The crisis in DRC has a regional dimension. The relationships between the DRC and its neighbour countries are at the core of the crisis in addition to the fact that the country has huge resources, that there are strong links between people in DRC and the neighbour countries, and that there are armed groups operating in the Kivus. All these have an impact on the security situation in the DRC. If there is not a political solution between the neighbouring countries, the instability will continue.

Q: We constantly refer to sexual abuse perpetrated by the FDLR and the fact that the authorities have not taken their responsibilities for protecting populations. There must be a considerable support from the international community to remedy the situation. What do you think of it ?

A: First of all, sexual violence is not only carried out by the FDLR but by all armed groups and state actors among the country. The state has responsibility to make sure that perpetrators of rapes are prosecuted. I was pleased to see that recently there were a number of cases brought to court. Rape used a as a weapon of war is completely unacceptable.

Q: You've come to gauge the needs of the humanitarian community in relation to what has been done and what needs to be done, and we are aware of the problems faced by donors. Will the United Nations be able to respond to the concerns of humanitarian agencies in addressing their specific needs with regard to the budget issue ?

A: I would like to see more funding across DRC. We will do all we can to get additional funding. It is important that the crisis in Congo is not forgotten and that the Congolese are not forgotten. We will do everything we can to continue to improve our work.

Q: Regarding the issue of protection, what is your assessment about the protection of civilians and humanitarians ? Are you reassured or not ?

A: Increasing attacks on NGOs and humanitarian partners who are trying to help people and save people's lives is clearly a worrying trend. We will try to do everything to solve it. The issue of protection of civilians and protection of humanitarian workers is at the heart of everything that we do but we also recognize that we work in an insecure and critical environment. The way humanitarian workers are being targeted and the way people continue to be caught up in the middle of armed conflict is something which we all find totally unacceptable.

Q: You mentioned that there will be a political solution to the situation, but some say that the political solution was found a few years ago and that there isn't an emergency crisis anymore. What do you think about this political solution and the fact that the role and activities of the UN might lessen in the country ?

A: You have to distinguish between conflict which is an immediate emergency and conflict which is a humanitarian conflict. There are 1.3 million displaced people in DRC, constant gender based violence, refugee populations who need to be sent back to their countries. In terms of solutions that have to be found, every solution has to be implemented to move out from the humanitarian phase to a more stable phase in terms of impact on people in the ground. Discussions need to continue particularly in relation to DRC and its immediate neighbors. The Government has to work with the international community, in order to increase its capacity. From my perspective, if the humanitarian situation comes to an end in DRC, I would be delighted. That would mean that things have improved for people in DRC.

For further information, please call: OCHA Kinshasa: Maurizio Giuliano, +243 995 901 532, giuliano@un.org; OCHA-New York: Stephanie Bunker, +1 917 367 5126, mobile +1 347 244 2106, bunker@un.org; Nicholas Reader, +1 212 963 4961, mobile +1 646 752 3117, reader@un.org; OCHA-Geneva: Elisabeth Byrs, +41 22 917 2653, mobile +41 79 473 4570, byrs@un.org

OCHA press releases are available at http://ochaonline.un.org or www.reliefweb.int