DATE=11/4/1999
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=CONGO-HUMANITARIAN AID (L ONLY)
NUMBER=2-255832
BYLINE=BRECK ARDERY
DATELINE=UNITED NATIONS
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: The United Nations official in charge of
humanitarian relief in Congo-Kinshasa today (Thursday)
painted a bleak picture of life in that war ravaged
nation. VOA Correspondent Breck Ardery reports.
TEXT: Darioush Bayandor, the representative in Congo
for the U-N High Commissioner for Refugees, says close
to one million people in Congo are either displaced or
have become refugees as a result of fighting between
the government and rebel factions. Some fighting
continues despite a cease-fire agreement that was
reached in Lusaka, Zambia last July.
Although the military situation has aggravated the
humanitarian crisis in Congo, Mr. Bayandor told
reporters the country is basically suffering from what
he called "35 years of mis-rule."
///Bayandor act///
Anyone who comes to Democratic Republic of Congo
will immediately notice that it has suffered
from inattention and corruption. This is a
country with a lot of wealth such as mineral
resources. It is surprising to see a rich
country like this in such an advanced stage of
disarray, lacking all infrastructure and
basically falling apart.
////end act///
Mr. Bayandor says international humanitarian aid to
Congo has been very disappointing. He says only 25
percent of necessary food aid has been delivered and
funds for less than five percent of other humanitarian
relief work have been forthcoming. He speculates that
donor nations want to see an end to the fighting
before making increased aid commitments.
Currently there are a few dozen United Nations liaison
officers in Congo. The U-N Security Council is soon
expected to follow a recommendation from U-N
Secretary-General Koffi Annan to authorize a 500
member military observer group there. That would
represent the second phase of United Nations
involvement in Congo. The third phase would be the
eventual deployment of a full-scale peacekeeping force
to assist in implementing the July cease-fire
agreement.(Signed)
NEB/UN/BA/LSF/PT
04-Nov-1999 16:48 PM EDT (04-Nov-1999 2148 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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