20 05 12 THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON THE GREAT LAKES (ICGLR) REGION FIRMILY CONDEM THE RESUMING VIOLENCE IN THE NORTH-KIVU PROVINCE OF THE DRC
movement, the People’s Defense National Congress (CNDP) which has been
integrated into the National Army of the DRC (FARDC) following the 2009 Goma
Peace Agreement had decided to mutined from the FARDC and since then, they are
conducting several attacks in the North-Kivu province, raping, killing,
stilling, burning villages and recruiting children in schools and send them at
the frontlines.
In the night of 13
to 14 May 2012, following a deadly attack attributed to the Democratic Alliance
for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), one of the prominent negative forces in the
region, against the population of Kamaniga village, in the Sector of Bunyakiri
(Kalehe district), South Kivu province. This attack against the village had
caused severe casualties among the local communities. The survivals of the
tragedy, very frustrated and disappointed for being totally left without any
protection against the various armed groups operating in the region, had
conducted a punitive attack against a UN peacekeeping position stationed in
Kanamiga, wounding 11 among whom, 7 in are in a critical condition.
The ICGLR
Secretariat firmly condemns the massive human rights committed by all negative
forces in the North Kivu province by the various illegal armed groups. The
insecurity generated by the military operations related to these armed groups
had caused deaths, massive rape cases, Internally Displaced Persons (IDP),
Refugees, etc. Several villages had been burnt, and children abducted and sent
by force on the frontlines.
During his official visit to Uganda
and Rwanda the last week, the ICGLR Executive Secretary met with Senior
political and military officials of both countries, both countries having being
the signing members of the ICGLR Pact on Peace, Security, Stability, Development
and Regional Integration in the Great Lakes Regions.
He highly appreciated the efforts
deployed by the DRC and Rwanda in collaborating to ensure that peace and
security prevail in both countries. He encouraged all ICGLR member states to act
commonly in the spirit and the framework of the Pact.
The ICGLR Executive Secretariat
encourages the countries of the Great Lakes Regions as well as the International
community to strengthen their support to all the victims of the political
instability in the North-Kivu province, especially for the vulnerable groups
including the Victims of Rape and Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, IDPs,
Refugees, etc.
In the same perspective, the ICGLR
Executive Secretariat had highly appreciated the outcomes of the joint meeting
between DRC-Rwanda on the Security issues in the North-Kivu province which took
place in Rubavu (Gisenyi/Rwanda) on 12 May 2012.
The meeting, chaired by the Ministers
of Defense of the two countries, issued a statement indicating the commitments
of both countries to immediately conduct joint verifications at their common
borders, but also, within each one of the countries. The two countries also
decided to develop a common operational plan against the negatives forces in the
region, among which the FDLR. During the meeting, the Government of Rwanda also
committed to continue providing support to the DRC’s efforts in rehabilitating
and maintaining Peace and Security in the Eastern part of its territory.
The ICGLR Executive Secretariat
recalls that the renegate General Bosco Ntaganda, who is re-engaged in massive
Human rights abuses in the DRC North-Kivu province has been a subject to an
warrant for War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity including Rape, recruitment
and used of child soldiers in Ituri by the Movement of the Congolese Patriots
(UPC) which was headed by Thomas Lubanga, since then detained at The Internal
Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, and who’s indictment has recently been
confirmed on the same charges.
The Executive Secretariat strongly
believes that arrest of Bosco Ntaganda and other criminals who are still
committing massive human rights abuses in the Eastern part of the DRC would send
a very strong message to the entire region. Such a move could strengthen the
existing efforts in fighting impunity, in rehabilitating the Victims of Rape and
Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV). It could also assist in implementing
and strengthening the Zero Tolerence against the perpetrators of the Human
Rights violations and concretize the Fight against the Illegal Exploitation of
Natural Resources in the Great Lakes Region.
The ICGLR Executive Secretariat seize
this opportunity to reiterate its commitment to work in close collaboration with
all existing actors in order to ensure that the 2006 ICGLR Pact on Peace,
Security, Stability, Development and Regional Integration is fully implemented
in the Great Lakes Region.
GOMA-RDC, le 18
Mai 2012
CONTACTS :
ICGLR
Secretariat, Bujumbura-BURUNDI
Secretariat@icglr.org.Tel :
+ 257 22 25 68 24/5/6/7/9.
Services
de Communication de la CIRGL :
Dorine
Nininahazwe : dorine.nininahazwe@icglr.org.
Tel.: + 257 794 92
064
Inabeza
Yuhire : inabeza.yuhire@icglr.org. Tel: + 257
79568578
Dr. Jean Jacques
S. Purusi : jeanjacques.purusi@icglr.org.
Tel : + 257 71570 104