MONUSCO report M23′s summary executions in occupied territory

http://therisingcontinent.wordpress.com/2012/11/21/roger-meece-reports-m23-summary-executions-in-occupied-territory/#more-3232



MONUSCO report M23′s summary executions in occupied territory



Posted on November 21, 2012 | Leave a comment



A wide view of the Security Council as members unanimously adopted a resolution demanding the immediate withdrawal of the M23 rebel group from the city of Goma in the DRC. UN Photo/Rick Bajornas

On Wednesday 21stNovember 2012, the Secretary-General's Special Representative and head of MONUSCO, Roger Meece, explained to the United Nations Security Council the situation in the province of North Kivu of Eastern Congo. But he does not elaborate on the reasons his contingent failed to protect Goma against the rebels. As he neither points at the origins of sophisticated weaponry M23 rebels are using, though UN Group of Experts reports of 21st and 27th June 2012 had already produced evidence showing that they were being supplied by Rwanda and Uganda.

Briefing the Council today via video-link from DRC, the Secretary-General's Special Representative and head of MONUSCO, Roger Meece, said that currently the M23 effectively occupies a significant portion of North Kivu, and it has been setting up a formal administrative or governing structure.

"We have received numerous reports of targeted summary executions of those who stand in their way, including government and traditional leaders who resist or fail to cooperate with an M23 administrative structure," he stated. "We also continue to receive ongoing reports of widespread recruitment and use of children, unconfirmed cases of sexual violence, and other serious human rights abuses."

Mr. Meece added that the rebels have not achieved full support by any ethnic group or community. "Indeed, the M23 does not enjoy broad support in North Kivu, or elsewhere in eastern DRC."

There have been various allegations of external support to the M23. On this matter, the envoy noted that the rebels are "well provisioned, and well supplied with uniforms, and a variety of arms and munitions, many of which clearly have not come from existing FARDC stocks."

"They exhibit many characteristics of a strong, disciplined, established military force with sophisticated tactics and operations, including night operations, which are not characteristic of traditional performance," he said.

MONUSCO, he noted, does not have the mandate or means to investigate or verify the sources or means by which these "impressive" capabilities have been achieved. "We can and have reported our encounters with English-speaking officers, surprising weaponry and equipment being used, and other signs of external support," he added.

The Council, in the resolution, expressed deep concern at reports indicating that external support continues to be provided to the M23, including through troop reinforcement, tactical advice and the supply of equipment, causing a significant increase of the military abilities of the M23. It demanded that "any and all outside support to the M23 cease immediately."

It requested Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to report in the coming days, in coordination with the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region and the African Union, on the allegations of external support to the M23 and expressed its readiness to take "further appropriate measures" on the basis of this report.

It also expressed its intention to consider additional targeted sanctions against the leadership of the M23 and those providing external support to it and those acting in violation of the sanctions regime and the arms embargo imposed by the Council in relation to the DRC.

The Council requested the Secretary-General to report in the coming days on options for the possible redeployments of MONUSCO contingents and additional force multipliers, observation capabilities and troops that could improve the Mission's ability to carry out its mandate, including to protect civilians and report on flows of arms and related materiel across the borders of eastern DRC.

Source: UN News Centre

The failure of the UNSC is evident in the case of bringing or maintaining peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo, despite MONUSCO being the biggest peacekeeping mission that has ever been. The problem has and will remain, as long as UN and its structures continue to be unconditionally behind Paul Kagame president of Rwanda and Yoweri Museveni president of Uganda who have and persist to be the troublemakers for DRC. It's an open secret that they are working for UK and UK multinationals that they enable to access Congolese minerals at the cost of the country's populations suffering.