07.25.08 UNHCR / Q&A: Former health minister seeks a peace cure for DRC

Excerpts from the interview:
You
recently visited Rutshuru, the area in North Kivu with the greatest
number of internally displaced people (lDP). What was their condition?
It
was a very dramatic trip. There is a silent humanitarian drama going on
in some areas of the east [of DRC]. I say silent because little is
known in the outside world about the suffering of the 1.3 million IDPs
[internally displaced people]…. Basic infrastructure is almost
non-existent. Health centres and schools have been destroyed, while
many of the displaced are sheltering in churches. Many schools are
almost empty because most of the students have fled. The malnutrition
rate among children is about 17 percent.Due to displacement, people have missed six harvests since 2006. Those who return often face land disputes.
Meanwhile, the staple crops of manioc and banana have been hit by a virus and production has gone down.I
met children who were working to help their families get extra food to
supplement their meagre rations. There were people who had been
assaulted, detained, robbed, who saw their siblings being killed. Some
were traumatized and still recovering from the atrocities they
witnessed or suffered. Many people feel desperate and struggle to keep
going each day. This situation needs to end and, for this reason,
instruments like the Amani Programme and the Acts of Engagement – if
properly implemented and monitored – should help restore peace and
allow people to return home.
What are the main obstacles for IDPs and refugees to return?
The
[South and North Kivu] provinces in the east have suffered a high level
of destruction to their social and economic infrastructures. According
to an IRC [International Rescue Committee] report published earlier
this year, about 5.4 million people have lost their lives there since
1998, mainly as a result of conflict, disease and starvation. The DRC,
moreover, has the second highest mortality rate in the world. The
national child and infant mortality rates are another serious concern,
with most youngsters dying from preventable diseases such as malaria
and measles. Access to health care is poor.
Violence
against women and children is another problem, even for those living in
IDP settlements. Can you tell us a bit about this?
North Kivu
has the largest IDP population – 857,600 – in the DRC. It also has the
worst record [of sexual and gender-based violence] against women. In
2007 and the first four months of this year, there were more than 50
cases of rape a day. It is also a problem in South Kivu. These abuses
contribute to an increase in the risk of HIV transmission.Sexual
violence is used as a war weapon and as a tool of domination based on
fear. Women and young girls, especially, are the victims. They are
traumatized physically and psychologically. This brutal violence
destroys the women, destroys families and destroys our country.
When can we talk about a definitive return home for IDPs and refugees?
It
is hard to say. There are presently about 40 indigenous armed groups
ranging from the north-east to the south-east. In addition, there are
armed groups from Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, the Sudan, Central African
Republic and Chad operating on DRC territory. The presence of all these
armed groups is behind the circulation and proliferation of illegal
arms as well as the illegal exploitation of mineral resources such as
coltan, diamonds and gold as well as the country's flora and fauna.
These groups levy illegal taxes, which pushes people to seek refuge in
IDP camps or to flee overseas.
What role do humanitarian organizations like UNHCR play in implementing the Amani Programme?
Humanitarian
actors are very important for delivering social services to the
population. UNHCR is present on the ground and its humanitarian work is
remarkable. The whole of the humanitarian community is ready to support
the objectives of the Amani Programme with development and rebuilding
projects in both Kivus. This programme is a big step on the road to the
consolidation of peace. But there is still much to do.There will be undoubtedly be very
intense discussions within the framework of the Amani Programme in
order to go forward with the peace process, which was outlined by the
Acts of Engagement signed in [the north Kivu capital] Goma in January
2008. It is important that the various armed groups respect their
commitments so that the various public projects can be implemented.
Do you personally work closely with UNHCR?
Yes.
As president of the technical commission on humanitarian and peace
affairs set up under the Amani Programme, I work regularly with UNHCR
at the central and provincial levels. Recently, I participated in a
meeting of the Tripartite Commission in Kinshasa between the DRC,
Uganda and UNHCR. The humanitarian situation is dramatic and we must
understand that stabilization of the situation will not only affect the
DRC, but also the region.