16 12 13 VoA – DRC Establishing Order in Former Rebel Strongholds

Lambert Mende also rejected concerns some armed groups could
fill the vacuum created by the defeat of the M23 and the subsequent signing of a
peace deal between the government and the rebels.

“There is now a police
force, they are working, there is now civilian authority, they are back they are
working and there is no void.  Not at all,” said Mende.

The minister of
internal affairs spent more than a month in the former rebel stronghold as part
of government’s effort to ensure law and order, said Mende.

He denied
reports the United Nations Mission in the country MONUSCO is helping the
government establish law and order in the former strongholds of the M23
rebels.                     

“[The] U.N. Force has nothing to do with
maintaining order.  They are just assisting the army.  The question of order is
a question of civil authorities of police,” said Mende.  “Thanks to what the
army and MONUSCO did we managed now to deploy the police force and local
authorities.  The job was well done, the authorities are back and the people are
starting to come back from refugee barracks.”

Mende said President Joseph
Kabila’s administration is creating the environment to enable the internally and
externally displaced citizens’ return safely and rebuild their lives.

“We
have [allocated] budgetary funds, and we have also asked our partners like the
United Nations, the European Union, [and] African Union to help us to do more. 
But we did not wait, we have allocated millions of dollars for having these
people back,” said Mende.

“Our officials are working to welcome them …
to try working in agricultural, in animal husbandry,” said Mende.  “They are
doing what they can to settle themselves with the assistance of the
government.”

Mende said both the administration and the M23 rebel
movement agree that those who committed gross human rights violations during the
conflict should be prosecuted to serve as a deterrent.

“We are happy that
in the declaration that we signed, even the M23 is recognizing the necessity of
fighting impunity,” said Mende.  “We are going to [prosecute] all those within
M23 who committed crimes.  This is the only way to discourage and to dissuade
those who would like to act like M23 or other groups.  The only way to
[establish] the rule of law, you must fight impunity.”

He said the
national army, the FARDC, is working with MONUSCO to put pressure on Rwandan
FDLR rebels in the CAR to disarm.