UN delays DRC report publication
2010-09-02 19:04
Geneva - The UN is delaying publication of its report on atrocities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) until October 1 to give concerned states a chance to comment, the UN said on Thursday.
The report had been expected to be published this week. A leaked draft seen by Reuters said Rwandan troops may have committed genocide in the DRC, a charge rejected by the government of President Paul Kagame.
"Following requests, we have decided to give concerned states a further month to comment on the draft and I have offered to publish any comments alongside the report itself on October 1, if they so wish," UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said in a statement.
Her spokesperson Rupert Colville declined to say whether Rwanda was among the states seeking to comment on the report. The draft of the report covers some 600 serious crimes committed by various forces in the former Zaire during the period 1993-2003.
Rwanda said on Tuesday that it was considering pulling out all its troops from UN peacekeeping missions, starting with Darfur, following the leaked report.