Dungu, 13 August 2010 - As part of his familiarization tour, the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General (SRSG) in the Democratic Republic of Congo and head of MONUSCO, Roger A. Meece, on 10 August 2010 visited the sub-office in Dungu where he met with the Mission's military and civilian staff and paid a courtesy call to the territorial authorities.

Immediately upon his arrival in Dungu, SRSG Meece was briefed by the commander of the Moroccan battalion (MORBAT) who provided a synopsis of the security situation in his area of responsibility (AoR) and summarized the movements and modus operandi of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA). The MORBAT commander reiterated that the entire AoR remains insecure because of LRA's continued attacks on civilians. The commander underscored the challenges in terms of civilians protection. The Special Representative also got an update on the recent internal, regional and international political initiatives aimed at tackling the LRA threat in a more comprehensive and coordinated manner.

In addition, Mr Meece was briefed on the ongoing activities by the different composantsr (Political, Human Rights, DDR/RR, Child Protection and Civil Affairs) as well ason inter-agency coordination: cross-organizational collaboration with civil society and international NGO's; and the challenges MONUSCO is facing in the AoR. Both military and civilian components highlighted the difficulties in effectively addressing humanitarian response demands, due to their limited capacity to face the insecurity.

Aware of the situation, the Special Representative promised to support all efforts to deal with the LRA .He further encouraged rigorous monitoring of human rights violations and child abuses and encouraged the Civil Affairs section to help improve the capacity of local authorities. He specifically appreciated the presence of United Nations agencies in Dungu and their contribution in helping to mitigate the suffering of the population. Mr Meece also emphasized the need for enhanced collaboration between MONUSCO and UN agencies.

Before departing Dungu, the Special Representative held a Town Hall meeting with the staff. He thanked staff for their important contribution to the United Nations in Dungu and acknowledged the challenges they faced in terms of difficult working and living conditions. He observed that though he had no magic solutions to the difficulties identified by staff, he will continue to listen and provide the necessary support. Commenting on the mandate, the Special Representative reminded staff of the focus on stabilization, protection of the population and capacity building, especially the training of police as requested by the government.

Mr Meece also met with local authorities, including the territorial administrator and the FARDC commander, who thanked him for his visit to Dungu. They underscored the critical role played by MONUSCO and appreciated ongoing MONUSCO interventions as well as the collaboration at all levels. In terms of challenges, territorial authorities urged MONUSCO to enhance civil protection and broaden logistical support to the FARDC. In response, the Special Representative thanked the territorial authorities and pledged continued collaboration between MONUSCO and the Government of DRC.

Dungu was the second stage of his 6 day tour that started in Bunia on 9. He left Dungu for North and South Kivu.