11/03/2005

Dear Ambassador:

While the countries of the Great Lakes region are each making tentative steps towards ending conflict and creating more open societies, violence and displacement continue to mark the region. The imminent UN Security Council trip to the region is a clear indicator that members are prepared to commit to assisting the respective governments in the region to meet the humanitarian needs of the affected populations and to support the establishment of democracy, human rights, and the rule of the law. In this regard, each country presents specific challenges, which Refugees International outlines in this letter.

Democratic Republic of Congo

As the DRC moves towards elections, Refugees International recommends that the Security Council continue its political engagement in the transition but pay increased attention to the protection needs of the civilian population, with a special focus on women and children. While the MONUC has recently shown increased vigor in the east, there is still insufficient attention paid to the protection needs of Congolese civilians. Civilians have been repeatedly harassed and abused by both militia and government troops throughout the conflict. Women have been systematically targeted for acts of sexual violence by all armed groups, both national and foreign. The sexual exploitation scandal which has stained MONUC’s image, both in the eyes of the Congolese people and the international community, requires immediate and serious disciplinary actions against the perpetrators. RI acknowledges the positive steps that the United Nations has taken to address this issue within MONUC. Nevertheless, for the hundreds of thousands of Congolese women and girls who have suffered sexual abuses at the hands of combatants, the response has been inadequate.

MONUC has recently moved to ensure a greater coherence among UN agencies and has established protection committees in five major locations throughout the eastern part of the country but greater coordination and communication is still needed. Bearing in mind the UN’s recent failure in adequately preparing for the return of the internally displaced before the elections in Liberia, Refugees International urges MONUC to ensure the inclusion and active participation of representatives from the displaced and communities that host displaced populations in any planning for a framework for protection of civilians. The Special Representative of the Secretary-General must urgently assign responsibility for protection activities to a lead agency and establish an accountability mechanism to ensure protection activities are integrated throughout all UN activities in the DRC.

On a positive note, where MONUC has succeeded in disarming militias, like in the eastern District of Ituri, or in parts of the country becoming more stable, displaced people have begun to return home. In order to ensure that the hard won peace in parts of the Congo is sustainable, it is crucial that more resources are directed quickly to areas in transition. In many of the places of return, weak national institutions and the current lack of presence of UN agencies, in particular those oriented to development, represent an additional obstacle to sustainable recovery. The donor community seems reluctant to fund transition and immediate post-conflict recovery programs but basic social services at community level ---health care posts, schools and economic revitalization activities --- should be given priority.

The Security Council visit to DRC comes during an extremely important phase of the country’s transition to peace. RI has outlined several areas in which we would like to see greater Security Council engagement, and we urge you focus attention on the following issues:

• MONUC’s progress in strengthening the UN Country Team’s capacity to protect civilians, in particular recently displaced, returning IDPs and refugees from abroad;
• The commitment and capacity of the government of the DRC to guarantee the security of civilian populations, using as a positive example the Ituri Integrated Brigade role in the return of IDPs in the north-east;
• Government progress in addressing impunity of the government militaries and militia, particularly in the case of violence against women;
• Government progress in developing a Return and Reintegration Strategy for all IDPs and refugees in light of the upcoming elections;
• MONUC’s progress on mainstreaming gender into the UN mission;
• MONUC’s progress on eliminating sexual exploitation and abuse of vulnerable Congolese by UN Peacekeeping troops.

• Government commitment to continuing the amnesty process to encourage LRA fighters to surrender, as well as implementation of an effective disarmament, demobilization and reintegration program;
• Punishment for members of the UPDF who violate the rights of IDPs;
• Improved humanitarian access to ensure that NGOs and UN can safely travel to IDP camps to deliver humanitarian assistance and protection. This is particularly important given recent LRA attacks on NGOs;
• Government and UPDF focus on defense of IDP camps as a priority rather than on an offensive strategy against the LRA;
• Support for civilian structures and rule of law in IDP camps, including police and civil administration functions, so that protection concerns can be adequately addressed.