Goma, 12 March 2013 – The United Nations Organisation Stabilisation Mission for the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) organised 28 February 2013 in Goma, an information-sharing forum with students on MONUSCO's role and youth contribution to the search for solutions to the new fights in Nord Kivu province.

The meeting was organized by MONUSCO's public information and civil affairs divisions in collaboration with the provincial coordination of civil society organizations. Roughly 300 young people took part in the meeting intended not only to get the youth to understand the different aspects of MONUSCO's mandate, but also to have them involved in the implementation of the Mission's mandate by playing a positive role. The East of the Democratic Republic of Congo, more particularly Nord Kivu province is conflict-ridden due to the presence of several armed groups fighting each other and harassing peaceful populations.

"Your help may be very useful to MONUSCO," said Juvenal Kambale, Inter-university Coordinator to the youth. "MONUSCO's sensitization is meant to prevent the youth from joining armed groups," he further said.

At the end of the information-sharing day, one of the students declared "the meeting helped us realize that we must stand up and act if we really want to make a change for our country."

Clara Padovan/MONUSCO