drc: SECURITY COUNCIL HEARS OF 'GROSS VIOLATIONS' OF HUMAN RIGHTS

DR OF CONGO: SECURITY COUNCIL HEARS OF 'GROSS VIOLATIONS' OF HUMAN RIGHTS
New York, Feb 13 2003 7:00PM

Deeply concerned by the continuous heavy fighting in the Democratic
Republic of the Congo (DRC), despite the signing of ceasefire agreements,
two top United Nations officials today briefed the Security Council on the
military situation and the deteriorating human rights conditions in that
country.

The Under Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Jean-Marie
Guéhenno, updated the Council on the persistent instability in the
northeastern part of the country and steps taken by the UN Organization
Mission in the DRC (MONUC) to achieve a peaceful resolution to the conflict.

MONUC has been working hard in the past weeks to defuse tensions among
various factions and recommend peace-building mechanisms, Mr. Guéhenno
said. He noted that the Mission was deeply concerned by the claims of the
leader of the Union des Patriotes Congolais (UPC), Thomas Lubanga, that he
has sole legitimate right to control the entire Ituri region.

"If there is no end to the present culture of impunity in the DRC, the
progress we seek on the political front may be hard to achieve," Mr.
Guéhenno said, adding that thousands of people were displaced and suffered
human rights abuses.

In echoing the view of Mr. Guéhenno, the UN High Commissioner for Human
Rights, Sergio Vieira de Mello, told the Council in his briefing that the
human rights situation has "deteriorated significantly." He said that
information gathered "reveals that prosecution on ethnic and tribal
grounds, extortion of property, rape and other forms of sexual violence
against women, extra-judicial executions, and the forced recruitment of
children are being committed."

In view of these "gross violations of human rights" Mr. Vieira de Mello
recommended that there was an "imperative need" to continue to monitor
closely and report on the human rights situation in the DRC. He said
consideration should be given to the establishment of an international
commission of inquiry to look into such violations.

"The Council may wish to demand again that the belligerents and their
foreign supporters put an immediate end to human rights violations and to
the culture of impunity, and that those responsible for such crimes be
immediately arrested - including those who continue to exercise military
command functions - and eventually brought to justice," the High
Commissioner said.

UN News Service