The Deputy Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General in the DR Congo, David Gressly, accompanied by the MONUSCO Force Deputy Commander, General Baillaud, carried out a working visit to Beni, North Kivu province, on Tuesday 16 June.

During the visit, the delegation had a meeting with all the military commanders responsible for the operations in the region, in the presence of representatives from all substantive sections of MONUSCO. The military commanders (MONUSCO and FARDC) presented in turn the security situation in the region, and made a number of requests for improvement in the conduct of operations on the ground.

The Deputy Special Representative then requested the leaders, both military and civilian, to prepare an overall operational strategy to guide the office in implementing the Mission’s current priorities. These can be summarized in four points: neutralization of armed groups, restoration of State authority, elections and respect for human rights.

The delegation then went to Samboko and Kamango. In Samboko, the delegation assessed the humanitarian situation of displaced persons from various areas affected by activities of the ADF. Most of these displaced people came from Oriental Province and have been living in Samboko for nearly a year now.

In Kamango, the delegation visited the “islands of stability” to see the different projects deployed there by MONUSCO.

The delegation returned to Goma on the same day, after promising to maintain a close collaboration with the actors present on the ground in Beni.