Lubumbashi, 10 July 2010 - Ms Leila Zerrougui, Deputy Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General in the DRC and acting head of MONUSCO, presided over the closing of a campaign against impunity for sexual violence, which was launched in Katanga last April. She also inaugurated a photo exhibition showing the exceptional courage of sexual violence victims as well as the efforts undertaken by the United Nations system and civil…
On the night of 13 August 2004, a transit centre assisted by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and housing Congolese refugees and Burundian returnees at Gatumba, Bujumbura Rural Province, Burundi, was brutally attacked by a large group of armed individuals. A total of 152 Congolese refugees from the Tutsi communities of South Kivu known as the Banyamulenge were killed, 106 were wounded and 8 remain missing…
Kinshasa, 5 July 2010 - During his short visit to DRC, UN Secretary-General met with the Congolese civil society at the Mission's headquarters to whom he said: "a vibrant civil society is essential for stability (...) reconciliation (...) sound democracy (...) and respect for human rights." Members of the Civil society took the opportunity to submit their " Memorandum". The Secretary-General REMARKS AT MEETING WITH CIVIL SOCIETY Kinshasa, 30 June…
Kinshasa, 3 July 2010 – Yesterday evening, at about 6 o'clock p.m., a tanker carrying fuel from Bukavu to Uvira overturned and exploded near the locality of Sangue, 33 km north Uvira while a crowd of people were attempting to scavenge the fuel. The cause of the explosion has not been established yet. The explosion left 220 people dead, 111 injured and a dozen houses damaged. MONUSCO deployed teams and equipments to assist the victims: 1…
Kinshasa, 30 June 2010 - During 24 hours stay in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), after attending the Fiftieth independence anniversary celebrations, Ban Ki Moon visited MONUC Headquarters to inaugurate the 'Plaque' of MONUSCO (acronym for United Nations Stabilization Mission in the Congo) that takes effect from 01 July, 2010. Speech. Mr. Doss, Mr. Meece, Dear MONUC colleagues, Ladies and Gentlemen, I am pleased to unveil this plaque…
Kinshasa, 30 June 2010 - The Secretary General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, arrived in the Congolese capital yesterday to take part in the festivities of the fiftieth anniversary of the independence of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (RDC). He wished to mark the commitment of the United Nations to the country, and to accompany the transition, from MONUC to MONUSCO, on 01 July 2010 . On this occasion, Radio Okapi asked him three…
Kinshasa, 29 June 2010 - The renowned Human Rights activist, Floribert Chebeya was laid to eternal rest in Kinshasa on Saturday, June 26 amid hundreds of mourners who had gathered at the funeral ceremony of the veteran whose entire life was characterized by courage and perseverance for safeguarding and fighting for the cause of human rights. 'Chebeya was considered as an icon of bravery and fearlessness when it came to upholding the cause of…
GENEVA , 26 June 2010 – "Almost all states have laws that prohibit torture and declare it a crime. Yet many states practice torture and do not prosecute those who commit it. Chilling reports of torture cross the desks of UN human rights officials every day, even though those states that practice it try to keep it tucked away in small, dark places that most of us never see, and many of us would like to think could not possibly exist behind the…
Kinshasa, 15 june 2010 - The Stabilization Funding Board (SFB) of the Stabilization and Recovery Funding Facility for Eastern DRC (SRFF) chaired by Prime Minister, Adolphe Muzito and Deputy SRSG, Fidele Sarassoro approved five programmes, amounting to US$ 5 million after reviewing a number of projects developed within the framework of the STAREC/ ISSSS (acronyms for Stabilization and Recovery Plan/ International Security and Stabilization Support…
Kinshasa, 23 June 2010 - The Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations in the DRC, Alan Doss, whose term as head of the UN Mission expires at the end of this month, met and interacted with the Congolese press for the last time today. While this was no stock taking time, Mr. Doss nevertheless spoke of the gains achieved during the two years and a half, he has spent in the DRC, as well as the challenges ahead for MONUSCO…