Female Soldiers of the Ghana Armed Forces have performed ground breaking roles in the ongoing peace operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Showcasing this, female military personnel are gradually shifting from service support role as previously undertaken to a more complex operational roles in peace operations. This accentuates the fact that the role of female soldiers have evolved within the modern concept of Multi-Dimensional…
The members of the Security Council took note of the announcement by the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) of the provisional results of the presidential and provincial elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo on 10 January 2019 and of the legislative elections on 12 January. They welcomed the peaceful holding of the elections, despite technical, logistical and security challenges on the day of the vote and the decision to…
The Secretary-General takes note of the announcement made by the Commission électorale nationale indépendante (CENI) of the provisional results of the 30 December presidential elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). He commends the Congolese people and political actors for the conduct of the presidential, national and provincial legislative elections, which saw a broad and inclusive participation of political parties. The…
GENEVA (7 January 2019) - A United Nations expert has called on the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo to restore internet services in the country. General elections were held on 30 December and the next day all primary telecommunications were shut down ahead of the announcement of the results. “A general network shutdown is in clear violation of international law and cannot be justified by any means,” said David Kaye, the UN Special…
The members of the Security Council took note of the decision by the National Independent Electoral Commission of the Democratic Republic of Congo (CENI) to delay until 30 December the Presidential, Parliamentary and Provincial elections previously scheduled for 23 December. The members of the Security Council reaffirmed its strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of the DRC. The members of the Security…
GENEVA/KINSHASA (19 December 2018) – Hundreds of extrajudicial killings and cases of torture and sexual violence against civilians have been documented during the last two years in North Kivu province in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), according to a UN report issued Wednesday. The security and humanitarian situation in North Kivu steadily deteriorated between January 2017 and October 2018, the report says, with the number of human rights…
As part of the UN System's efforts to end sexual exploitation and abuse by UN personnel, victims are at the heart of the response in the field. As a result, community-based complaint reception mechanisms (CBCMs) were set-up within communities with attention to cultural and gender sensitiveness in order to maximize their effectiveness. The purpose of these mechanisms is to empower local communities and support victims so they can report…
The Special Representative of the Secretary-General expresses her serious concern over repeated incidents hampering the proper conduct of the electoral campaign in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. She denounces the obstacles encountered by some opposition candidates during their efforts to hold public meetings in certain cities around the country, as reported in recent days in Kindu and Lubumbashi, and today in Kalemie. The Special…
Yang Huan Huan is an officer of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, with the rank of Major. She holds a Master's degree from the Military Academy of her country. She currently serves as a MONUSCO military observer based in Bukavu, South Kivu province. She explains here, in a few words, what her job within the UN Mission Force consists in. "As a military observer, I take part in patrols every day and I am always in touch with the local people,"…
The members of the Security Council expressed their conviction that the elections of 23 December 2018, as an expression of the sovereignty of the people and government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), constitute a historic opportunity for the first democratic and peaceful transfer of power in the DRC, the consolidation of stability in the country and the creation of the conditions for its development. The members of the Security Council…