18 September 2017 – United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres today called on the world to stand in solidarity to condemn sexual exploitation and abuse as he detailed the key initiatives at the heart of his victim-centred approach to address the scourge across the UN system. “Sexual exploitation and abuse has no place in our world,”, Mr. Guterres said in his remarks to the unprecedented High-Level Meeting on the Prevention of Sexual…
New York, 18 September 2017 Over the years, I have been haunted by my many encounters with women and children scarred by sexual violence and further stigmatized sometimes by their own communities. But I have also been inspired by the courage and resilience with which they set about rebuilding their lives. Sexual exploitation and abuse has no place in our world. It is a global menace and it must end. We are here to take bold, urgent and much…
Kinshasa, September 18, 2017 – A peacekeeper from the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) was killed yesterday in Beni territory in the North Kivu province. MONUSCO troops reacted to an attack by presumed Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) against a position of the Congolese armed forces (FARDC), which is located 500 meters from the MONUSCO base. During the clash, one peacekeeper from…
The UN Mission for the Stabilization of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) was established in 2010 by the Security Council to reflect a new phase reached in the country. With a strong military component, the Mission protects civilians, humanitarian personnel and human rights defenders under imminent threat of physical violence while supporting stabilization and peace. UN Volunteers form an important civilian component of the Mission…
The Secretary-General condemns the killing of a Tanzanian peacekeeper serving with the United Nations Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) on 17 September in Mamundioma, in North Kivu province, following a clash with suspected members of an armed group, the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF). Another peacekeeper was also injured during the incident. The Secretary-General offers his condolences to the friends and…
17 September 2017 – Ahead of a high-level United Nations meeting on preventing sexual exploitation and abuse, the Organization's Special Coordinator on the issue is urging global leaders to join the “Circle of Leadership,” lend the political weight of their offices, and act – both at the national and international levels – to eradicate the scourge. “Sexual exploitation and abuse is not an issue that is only concerning peacekeeping or military or…
KINSHASA, Sep. 16, 2017 – The Special Representative of the Secretary-General in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Maman Sidikou, today condemned violence perpetrated in Kamanyola (South Kivu province) that have resulted in the killing of dozens of people and expressed his sincere condolences to the families of the victims. Clashes between asylum-seekers and refugees from Burundi and Congolese defense and security forces reportedly killed at…
KINSHASA, September 7, 2017 - Following the discovery of several fraudulent documents, the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) recalls that the United Nations in DRC are under no circumstance involved in the certification process for the export or import of minerals. Some minerals traffickers have indeed produced certificates purportedly issued by MONUSCO in order to be able to…
Kinshasa, 29 August 2017- The Special Representative of the Secretary-General in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Maman Sidikou strongly condemns the violation of the premises of the United Nations in Kananga, in Kasai central province on 28 August 2017 by soldiers of the Congolese Army. A group of soldiers, commanded by General Marcellin Assumani, Commander of the Congolese Army operations in the Kasai region, forced their way into the…
25 August 2017 Good morning and thank you for joining us today. Over the past week, I visited Kinshasa and Kananga before arriving yesterday morning in Goma. I am in the DRC in my capacity as director of the UN Human Rights Office’s 60 field presences, with a view to strengthening our engagement with the authorities and assessing the human rights situation during a particularly sensitive period for this country. I have met national and local…