“Armed attacks” and “deadly violence” were two phrases used by a senior United Nations (UN) spokesman in a Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)/MONUSCO briefing this week, a humanitarian truce announced over two weeks ago notwithstanding.
Addressing the weekly noon briefing at United Nations (UN) headquarters in New York, Stéphane Dujarric, spokesman for Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said MONUSCO peacekeepers responded to separate incidents involving CODECO (Co-operative for the Development of the Congo) fighters. The “assailants” withdrew from villages south-east of Djugu in Ituri when blue helmets made an appearance.
He further noted civilians are targeted in ongoing attacks in North Kivu, in eastern DRC where a three-nation Southern African Development Community (SADC) mission has been deployed since December.
The SADC mission – SAMIDRC – according to MONUSCO Head Bintou Keita, was “expected” to reach full operational capability by the middle of this month (July). There was, at the time of publication, no word from either the mission or the regional bloc on SAMIDRC status, manpower and equipment.
Ahead of the humanitarian truce, violence in North Kivu led to 390 000 people becoming IDPs (internally displaced persons) in the Rutshuru and Lubero territories of the province. The truce saw medical supplies and other equipment reach the IDPs with many still needing assistance and support.
“To reach them, aid workers – like civilians in DRC – must be protected. The extension of the humanitarian truce to August 3rd is a welcome step, but it is critical parties to the conflict work to definitively end the fighting and pursue a sustainable negotiated resolution,” Dujarric said.
