UN humanitarian chief urges greater attention to protection of civilians in DRC

(New York, 10 February 2009): During high-level meetings in Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Under-Secretary-General and Emergency Relief Coordinator John Holmes today urged the government and its international partners to respond urgently to significant humanitarian needs in the Kivus, and in Province Orientale, following attacks by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) there. He concluded today his four-day mission to promote humanitarian concerns and response in DRC.

Mr. Holmes met President Kabila, Prime Minister Muzito, and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mwamba. He assured the Government of the UN's commitment to increase assistance to populations in need in the DRC, especially now to the victims of LRA violence in Haut Uele, while repeating the need for all concerned to respect international law and do everything possible to protect the civilian population.

After meeting President Kabila, Mr. Holmes said that "the dreadful atrocities against the population by the LRA place a huge responsibility on all concerned - Government, international partners and allies alike - to do much more to protect civilians during the joint operations and in their aftermath."

Mr. Holmes stressed with all he met the need for the rule of law to be strengthened, and the pressing imperative to end impunity, particularly for sexual violence, including among senior officers of the Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC).

Mr. Holmes also met the Special Representative of the Secretary General Alan Doss, the force commander of the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in the Congo (MONUC), the UN country team, and representatives of the donor and diplomatic community. He encouraged them all to support the continuing delivery of humanitarian assistance, particularly to the Haut Uele district, and to be prepared to increase early recovery and transition activities if the security situation improves in the Kivus.

Mr. Holmes concluded that he hoped the recent encouraging political and security developments in the Kivus would be confirmed, and further risks to the civilian population avoided. For its part the humanitarian community would continue to do all it could to meet the needs of the civilian population.

For further information, please call: Stephanie Bunker, OCHA-New York, +1 917 367 5126, mobile +1 917 892 1679, bunker@un.org; Nicholas Reader, OCHA-New York, +1 212 963 4961, mobile +1 646 752 3117,reader@un.org; Elisabeth Byrs OCHA-Geneva,+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