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As UN Calls Rights Diligence Hypothetical, Says Only M23 in Rutshuru

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, February 26 – Amid conflicting reports about renewed fighting in and around Rutshuru in the Eastern Congo after the signing Sunday in Addis Ababa of the framework agreement, Inner City Press on Tuesday asked the UN about it.

  On the fighting around Rutshuru, later on Tuesday the Rwandan Mission to the UN told Inner City Press it's their view that the FDLR were on the move from Rugari. They marveled that Ban Ki-moon's recent report did not mention what they say were two incursions into Rwanda by the FDLR.

  Ban's envoy Roger Meece, it seems, in closed door consultations said repeatedly that since the FARDC, or some in the FARDC, have fought against the FDLR, they could not be working together at any level. This, Rwanda disputes.

  And if even Herve Ladsous knows the identities of most of the FARDC perpetrators of the 126 rapes in Minova from November 20 to 22, why has he done nothing? Why does the UN nevertheless speak with such assurance, at least off camera in Security Council consultations, about the bone fides of the FARDC?

  Inner City Press asked:

Inner City Press: two questions about the Democratic Republic of Congo. One is that there have been reports for a few days of fighting around Rutshuru. Some people are saying it is two different factions of the M23 (23 March Movement), other people say it is the FDLR (Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda)… So, does MONUSCO (United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo) have access to this area? Do they have any sense of who is doing the fighting? And I wanted to ask, the peace enforcement brigade as envisioned by the Secretary-General, would it be covered by this human rights due diligence policy of the UN system in terms of which units of the FARDC [Congolese Army] it would work with?

Deputy Spokesperson Eduardo Del Buey: Well, to answer your first question, MONUSCO reports that on 24 February, in Rutshuru, North Kivu Province, an exchange of fire took place between rival factions within the M23 armed group. During the fighting, four M23 elements and four civilians were killed. Twenty people were also injured, the Mission adds. MONUSCO’s base in nearby Kiwanja was put on high alert and a patrol of armed infantry support vehicles was deployed to ensure the protection of civilians. Two patrols of UN peacekeepers continue to be present on the Rutshuru-Kiwanja axis. With respect to your second question, we will have to see what the Security Council decides, a decision hasn’t been taken yet for that force.

Inner City Press: But, I thought that the human rights due diligence policy is an initiative of the Secretary-General, that’s why I am asking you--

Deputy Spokesperson: Well, we’ll have to see. Right now, there is no other force in the DRC. So that is a hypothetical question.

  It would seem that Ban Ki-moon' Secretariat should be able to answer on the applicability of its Human Rights Due Diligence Policy, already undermined by DPKO chief Herve Ladsous' refusal to answer then positing of a rape grade period -- click here for that.

 Again, if even Herve Ladsous knows the identities of most of the FARDC perpetrators of the 126 rapes in Minova from November 20 to 22, why has he done nothing? Why does the UN nevertheless speak with such assurance, at least off camera in Security Council consultations, about the bone fides of the FARDC? Watch this site.

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