'3 000 more UN troops to DRC'

2008-11-12 08:05

United Nations - The UN's most powerful body is close to approving 3 000 more peacekeeping troops for the world body's overstretched force in war-stricken areas of eastern Congo, diplomats said late on Tuesday.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, meanwhile, called for an immediate cease-fire to urgently help "at least 100 000 refugees" cut off by fighting in rebel-held areas north of Goma in eastern Congo.

"For the 100 000 people whose life line has been cut off, I am trying to explore all the possibilities available within UN agencies and other human rights groups," Ban told reporters earlier on Tuesday.

"I urgently call for an immediate cease-fire in these areas to allow humanitarian assistance to reach many thousands of displaced persons," he said.

After a two-hour closed-door meeting on Tuesday, members of the 15-nation U.N. Security Council and the Congolese ambassador said broad agreement exists for beefing up the 17 000-strong UN peacekeeping force in Congo, known as Monuc.

'More or less approved'

"I would say a large number of members in the council believe that Monuc has to be strengthened," Panamanian Ambassador Ricardo Alberto Arias said.

Congo Ambassador Ileka Atoki said "the idea is more or less approved," but the council is waiting for another report on Congo next week from Ban, who requested the 3 000 additional troops more than a month ago to protect civilians.

About 250 000 people in all have been displaced by fighting in eastern Congo, including those north of Goma, the provincial capital, Ban said.

"But at least 100 000 refugees are cut off in areas north of the city, chiefly around Rutshuru and East Masisi," he said. "Because of the ongoing fighting, these people have received virtually no assistance. Their situation has grown increasingly desperate.

Ethnic hatred left over from the 1994 slaughter of at least 500 000 Tutsis in neighbouring Rwanda has fuelled the fighting.

Rebel forces led by Laurent Nkunda fought their way in late August toward Goma, then stopped just outside the city and declared a cease-fire two weeks ago. Nkunda says he is fighting to protect minority Tutsis from Rwandan Hutu militants who participated in the genocide before escaping to Congo.

Resentment

Since then resentment has built up among some of Congo's civilians that the UN force - with just 9 300 troops for sprawling North Kivu province's 10 million inhabitants - did little to prevent the rebels' advance.

Steve Crawshaw, UN advocacy director of New York-based Human Rights Watch, said it is "impossible to overstate the importance and devastating consequences" for civilians if the council does not quickly approve sending more troops.

Ban returned from a summit in Nairobi last week that had called on all armed groups in the North Kivu province to observe an immediate cease-fire.

Since the Nairobi meeting, which Nkunda did not attend, Ban said he had also met to discuss options with representatives of the US, France, Britain, Netherlands, Canada, Japan, African Union and European Union.

But now the UN chief says he is most worried about the plight of the refugees and reports of the use of child soldiers in areas north of Goma.

Targeted killings of civilians

"Despite the Nairobi declaration, there are continued reports of sporadic fighting," Ban said. "I am very concerned by reports of targeted killings of civilians, looting and rape."

He warned that "when the laws of war are violated, personal criminal responsibility may ensue, particularly for those in positions of command and control."

A UN mission has been investigating reports of massacres, including a large number civilians targeted.

It visited 11 burial sites that witnesses said contained 26 bodies of combatants and civilians, Ban's spokesperson, Michele Montas, said.

Many of the killings were thought to be reprisals against those deemed to have collaborated with the government.

Ban also said he would discuss with representatives of humanitarian agencies how they could gain access to the towns north of Goma in rebel-held territory.

So far, UN agencies have been delivering food, medicine, fresh water and sanitation supplies but only to "areas where they can operate, most particularly in Goma," Ban said.

Juliette Prodhan, an Oxfam aid worker based in Goma, told reporters by teleconference that "we haven't been able to reach all the populations we need to reach" - and some refugees have been without water for a week.

"There's utter fear among the population," Prodhan said. "These are people who have suffered an immense amount of grief."

- AP