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UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs |
DRC: Interview with MONUC chief William Swing
KISANGANI, 14 August 2003 (IRIN) - UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan appointed William Lacy Swing on 22 May to serve as his special representative to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and to head the UN's peacekeeping operation there, known as MONUC. Swing arrived in the DRC on 5 July, succeeding Amos Namanga Ngongi at the end of his two-year mandate.
Swing, a veteran US diplomat, most recently served as Annan's special representative to Western Sahara. Prior to that, Swing served as US ambassador to the DRC. He has also served as US ambassador to neighbouring Republic of Congo, as well as to Haiti, Liberia, Nigeria and South Africa.
IRIN spoke with Ambassador Swing on Tuesday in the northeastern city of Kisangani, where MONUC had just completed a training course for 265 Congolese police officers. Swing talked about MONUC's involvement in training an integrated national police force, as well as about the ongoing deployment of MONUC personnel in the country, recently increased and strengthened by UN Security Council Resolution 1493. The resolution has enabled MONUC to act under Chapter Seven of the UN Charter, which authorises the use of "all necessary means" to fulfil its mandate.
QUESTION: MONUC has just concluded a training session, including human rights education, of police officers in Kisangani. Is the UN ready to offer such training to police officers throughout the DRC?
ANSWER: At the moment, our objective is to train 1,200 police officers before the end of the year, with the cooperation of the government. And we shall encourage other countries to support a nationwide police training programme, as per UN Resolution 1493 [which, in addition to strengthening MONUC's mandate and increasing its force size, encouraged donors to support the establishment of an integrated Congolese police force and approved the provision by MONUC of the additional assistance required for this training]. Ultimately, it will be donors and third countries who will, on the basis of bilateral agreements, implement this training because they have the experience, the expertise, the capacity and the resources. Our role will most likely be coordination of these efforts so that we achieve our objective.
Q: What measures are being taken to replace MONUC's neutral police, responsible for the security of the members and institutions of the two-year transitional government, with an integrated and neutral national police force?
A: The 1,200 police officers that we are in the process of training are due to come to Kinshasa to replace the neutral MONUC force, consisting of about 1,000 Tunisian and Ghanaian military officers. There are a number of possibilities regarding what to do with this force in the future. Bunia [the main city of embattled Ituri District, northeastern DRC, where economically-fuelled ethnic strife has led to the deaths of an estimated 50,000 people and the displacement of some 500,000 since 1998] is one possibility, but nothing has yet been decided. However, it is true that the MONUC police force is due to be replaced by an integrated national police force.
Q: But won't the reassignment of national police officers from Kisangani to Kinshasa create a security vacuum in the former?
A: That is a good point. However, the 1,200 national police officers is just the beginning. At present, we are limited owing to the capacity of the Kapalata training centre, which can only accommodate 300 trainees. We are looking for another location, another academy in Kinshasa, or in other areas of the country. We have been discussing this matter with the transitional government.
Q: With regard to MONUC's strengthened mandate under Resolution 1493, will you be ready by 1 September to take over from the EU-led multinational peace enforcement mission currently stationed in Bunia, whose mandate is due to expire within two weeks?
A: As you are aware, the latest resolution authorised MONUC to increase its force strength from 8,700 to 10,800. We have planned for a reinforced brigade to be deployed in Ituri. Right now, we already have one-third of this force in place. We have 1,400 soldiers in Bunia. We will have more than 2,000 by 1 September, and by the end of September, we will have about 3,000 in place. Ultimately, we plan on having about 3,800.
Q: On Tuesday, a group of 250 Bangladeshi soldiers arrived in the DRC to be deployed in Ituri. Have other countries that have pledged troops to reinforce MONUC made these forces available yet?
A: There are now 700 Bangladeshi soldiers on the ground, in addition to the 740 Uruguayans who were already in place. Several hundred Indians have recently arrived, and a Pakistani battalion [of about 1,000 soldiers] is due to arrive around 25 August.
Q: During your visit to Kampala on Tuesday, did you have the opportunity to discuss with Ugandan authorities the issue of neighbouring countries fuelling conflicts in the DRC, and particularly in Ituri, which shares a border with Uganda?
A: No, I went to Kampala because I am in the process of meeting with officials of all countries in the region. Furthermore, I was there for the official opening of a MONUC office, following the signing of an agreement on Friday between Uganda and the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations.
Q: MONUC appears to be very engaged in Kisangani at the moment, with new UN supplies arriving daily. What role will Kisangani play in the reinforced deployment of MONUC personnel in eastern DRC?
A: Kisangani is now a major logistics base for us, from which we will support all of our operations in eastern DRC, including Kindu [capital of Maniema Province], where we have just over 2,000 people in place, and Bunia, where we are due to have upwards of 3,800. And also other locations, such as Goma, Bukavu, Kalemie, Butembo, Beni. All of this will be supported from Kisangani.
[For IRIN's interview with Ambassador Swing's predecessor, Ambassador Ngongi]
Themes: (IRIN) Conflict
[ENDS]
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