Goma, 03 February 2011 - Last year 1881 rebel combatants from the militia group known as the FDLR - the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda - opted for voluntary surrender and disarmament to the United Nations Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo, MONUSCO. Today the FDLR combatants number approximately 2500, down 60 percent from an estimated 6000 two years ago. The rebels are located in the eastern provinces of…
New York, 4 February 2011 - Rape victims from Songo Mboyo in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) were presented with a boat as a gesture of solidarity from the United Nations on Monday, 7 February, in Mbandaka, DRC. The boat will be used by the women to transport goods to the market in support of their income-generating activities. More than 100 women from Songo Mboyo, a remote village in the Equateur Province, were victims of a mass rape…
Ituri, 3 February 2011 – As part of his recent ten-day field trip, the Deputy-Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General and Coordinator for Humanitarian Action in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mr. Fidèle Sarassoro, visited Bukiringi, in the district of Ituri, as well as in Dungu and Faradjé in the neighboring district of Haut Uele. Mr. Sarassoro was accompanied by a high-level delegation, including senior members of the…
Ntoto, 29 January 2011 - For the second time in a week MONUSCO Blue Helmets intervened in the North Kivu town of Ntoto and rescued six Congolese National Police Officers that were abducted by Mai Mai fighters. The early warning centre at the Ntoto military Base was initially informed about the abduction of the local National Police chief late on January 29. The Blue helmets immediately swung into action and closed in on the house where they…
Bukavu, 28 January 2011 – The Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Humanitarian Coordinator of the UN System in the DR Congo, Mr. Fidèle Sarassoro, arrived in Bukavu last Friday at the start of a three-day working visit, accompanied by a high level delegation comprising senior members of UN Agencies and of the Spanish Cooperation. During his visit, Mr. Sarassoro discussed issues concerning humanitarian work, the overall…
Kinshasa , 29 January 2011 - Mindful of the good relations between the Congolese population and the United Nations System, the UN Stabilization Mission in the DR Congo (MONUSCO) through its Public Information Division, last week-end launched a month-long sensitization campaign in the country's capital, Kinshasa. The campaign, which is based on the slogan "UN Congo Nouveau" – a play on words in French , which means "A New Congo" –, kicked off in…
Goma, 26 January 2011 – The Indian contingent of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) organized a medal parade in Goma on 26 January 2011, and took the opportunity to celebrate the 62nd anniversary of India Republic Day. The ceremony was attended by several provincial administrative authorities as well as members of MONUSCO senior civilian and military staff, including the Deputy Special…
Kalemie, 20 January 2011 – The Police Unit of the UN Stabilization Mission in the DR Congo (MONUSCO) based in Kalémie completed the construction of a detention cell, and handed it over to the local National Police Inspection at a ceremony organized for the occasion on 20 January. The detention cell was built through a 29,000-dollar Quick Impact Project. The Project, which started on 30 August last year, was implemented by engineers from the Benin…
Panzi, 20 January 2011 – The Pakistan contingent of MONUSCO built a bridge for the population of Panzi, a small town 30 km south-east of Bukavu, the provincial capital of South Kivu. The bridge links Panzi and Mulamba and will also serve the near-by town of Tulinki, as well as other surrounding villages. According to the military public information officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Liaquat, the decision to construct the bridge came about after…
Beni, 18 January 2011 – The Vocational Training Centre of Beni re-opened its doors on 18 January during a ceremony that took place in the presence of several local administrative officials and representatives of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO). Located in the Nepalese battalion camp, the Centre provides nine-month training sessions to individuals comprising all levels of education. Students…