18 December 2012 – The International Criminal Court (ICC) today acquitted former Congolese rebel leader Mathieu Ngudjolo Chui of war crimes and crimes against humanity relating to a deadly 2003 assault on a village in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), saying it could not convict him "beyond reasonable doubt" based on the evidence presented. Hundreds of people were killed in the 24 February 2003 attack on the village of Bogoro in…
18 December 2012 – Preliminary findings by United Nations investigators have documented at least 126 rapes and the killing of two civilians – one a minor – during a probe into human rights violations in a part of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) that recently experienced a new eruption of violent clashes and civilian displacements, a UN spokesperson said today. A parallel investigation by the armed forces of DRC, known by the French acronym…
17 December 2012 – The situation on the ground in the Kivus – two provinces in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) which have experienced violent clashes and civilian displacement involving armed groups over recent months – remains "tense and fragile," a United Nations spokesperson said today. Speaking to the UN News Centre, the spokesperson for the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO), Kieran Dwyer, also said that 'blue…
10 December 2012 – Some 250 schools have been occupied or looted during the recent fighting in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), bringing the total number of schools affected by conflict this year to 600, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) reported today. At least 240,000 students have missed weeks of schooling as a result of the conflict since April, the agency added in a news release. Many of those fleeing last month's…
9 December 2012 – While relief workers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have scaled up assistance to those affected by the recent violence in Goma, the protection of civilians remains a major concern, said a senior United Nations official who toured the area. "I am grateful to the humanitarian actors who stayed in Goma and continued to deliver aid to the most vulnerable populations during the peak of the crisis," the Humanitarian…
Bukavu, 28 November 2012 – The deteriorating security and humanitarian situation in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the M23 rebels' occupation of Goma in Nord-Kivu and their advance towards Sud-Kivu generated massive concerns among Congolese citizens. The United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic Congo (MONUSCO) reported on the arrangements put in place, in consultation with the Armed Forces of…
Goma, 3 December 2012 – While visiting Goma in Nord Kivu province, from 1 to 2 December 2012, General Babacar Gaye, Head of the Military Department of Peacekeeping Operations and Chief Military Advisor to the United Nations Secretary-General, gave an interview on Radio Okapi. RADIO OKAPI: WHAT ARE THE REASONS FOR YOUR VISIT HERE IN NORD KIVU? WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF YOUR STAY? BABACAR GAYE: Mr. Ladsous [Hervé Ladsous, Under-Secretary-General for…
5 December 2012 – The security and humanitarian situation in the Kivu provinces in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) remains fragile, a United Nations spokesperson said today, adding that the world body is continuing to assist the country on both fronts. The province of North Kivu has been the site of upheaval and a humanitarian crisis recently, with the occupation of its capital city, Goma, by the 23 March Movement (M23) armed group…
Mbandaka, 30 November 2012 – After a month-long dispute between the Governor of Equateur province, Jean-Claude Baende, and the Provincial Assembly Speaker, Jean-Gontran Ibambe, the two local authorities are back to a cordial relationship thanks to mediation efforts of the United Nations organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO). Relations between Governor Baende and Speaker Ibambe turned sour towards the end…
Mbandaka, 30 November 2012 - The Centre de Formation international en Droits humains et Développement (International Human Rights and Development Training Center) launched a training workshop in Mbandaka, the provincial capital of Equateur on 20 November 2012. The 10-day training workshop was intended for human rights activists from across the province. The organizers received support from the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in…