Bunia, 23 July 2011 - SRSG Mr. Roger Meece with a high-level delegation composed of MONUSCO-DRC Government officials including the Special Security Advisor to the DRC Head of State, Mr. Pierre Lumbi arrived in Bunia, district of Ituri on a working visit. The purpose of the trip was to assess the security situation there and at the same time reassure the population.

During their visit, the delegation held a number of meetings with members of the district security commission, traditional leaders of Southern Irumu, representatives of religious communities as well as civil and military authorities in Ituri.

The delegation was told that the security situation is generally calm but still remains worrisome. Several raids, murders and lootings committed by militia elements of the Front Populaire pour la Justice au Congo (FPJC) and the Front de Résistance Patriotique in Ituri (FRPI) are reported.

The chiefs of villages in the territory of Southern Irumu described as a failure the programmes initiated by the Commission Nationale de la Démobilisation et de Réinsertion (CONADER) and the Désarmement, Démobilisation et Réintégration (DDR). As a way forward, they made the following recommendations:
· A community disarmament program to be put in place after a general amnesty in favor of those holding weapons of war; improved DDR mechanisms by involving traditional leaders and representatives of religious communities;
· Rehabilitation of road, medical and sanitary infrastructures to facilitate free movement of people and goods and development of trade exchanges to reduce the rampant poverty, and
· Inter-ethnic reconciliation.

Before concluding the meeting, the SRSG informed the participants on the new MONUSCO mandate, especially on the issues of the protection of civilian populations as well as the technical and logistic supports to the electoral process for the upcoming elections.

Finally, the SRSG and the DRC Head of State's Security Advisor gave assurances to the participants that their grievances will be taken seriously in order to restore peace and social cohesion to the District.

Amadou Maiga/MONUSCO