28 05 14 UN News Service – Senior UN officials urge Brazzaville to halt expulsion of DR Congo nationals

More
than 130,000 DRC nationals have been expelled from Brazzaville, capital of
Republic of the Congo, since early April, according to a statement from
the UN Mission in the country, known by its French acronym
MONUSCO.

“I
heard numerous testimonies of victims of gross human rights abuses and cruel
treatments,” said Martin Kobler, head of MONUSCO and Special Representative of
the Secretary-General in the DRC.

He
visited a transit camp on the outskirt of Kinshasa, the capital of DRC, where
several thousands of expelled are currently gathered. Kinshasa and Brazzaville
face each other across the Congo River.

“I
heard stories of children drowning in the river during their forced crossing. I
saw a man injured by bullets and mothers who had given birth alone on the shore
of the Congo River,” he added, urging that “all this has to
stop”.

Zainab
Hawa Bangura, Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence
in Conflict, joined Mr. Kobler's call: “We have received reports alleging that
sexual violence is being committed before and during the expulsion exercise, and
this is unacceptable.”

Ms.
Bangura and Mr. Kobler urge the two neighboring countries to ensure that
administrative and security officials “act in full compliance with the
principles of good neighborliness and preserve peace and international security
in conformity with the UN Charter”, according to the joint
statement.

While
the conditions for people to stay in a foreign country are part of the sovereign
responsibility of the host country, deportations should be made in strict
compliance with the principles and rules of the international law, they reminded
the authorities.

“Mass
expulsions are contrary to principles within the African Charter on Human and
People's Rights and international law more broadly,” Mr. Kobler
said.