Goma, 2 August 2010 - The DDRRR Section of MONUCSCO and its partners destroyed 390 small arms (Kalashnikov, machine guns, etc) collected from FDLR fighters who have joined the demobilization process. The weapons were destroyed during a ceremony held at the headquarters of the Uruguayan contingent of MONUSCO in Goma on 30 July 2010.

Weapon destruction operations are part of the DDRRR process, which involves also collecting and recording all weapons and ammunition confiscated from or handed in by armed groups and thus contributing to stem the flow of weapons and restore peace in the Kivus. "The DDRRR process, with the support of the Uruguayan battalion and in synergy with the ongoing military operations, continues to contribute to restoring peace and security in the region," Hervé Hesse, head of the DDRRR Section, said. "These weapons have all been collected from the FDLR combatants who have opted for a peaceful future by joining the DDRRR process for repatriation to their country.

These weapons have been duly registered and counted by the DDRRR Section. And in order to ensure they are never used again, the remains will be buried uder a concrete screed," he said. Mr Hesse added that since January 2009, 22,000 rounds of ammunition have also been retrieved from demobilized FDLR combatants. These munitions were handed over to the United Nations agency Mines Advisory Coordination (UNMAC) for their destruction. "