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UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

DRC: NGO urges "political and military boldness" to sustain peace

NAIROBI, 17 September 2003 (IRIN) - Refugees International has called for "political and military boldness" in helping the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) through its precarious transition from war to peace, with particular attention given to the role of the UN peacekeeping mission in the country, known as MONUC.

In a report issued on Tuesday, "MONUC: Mandate to Succeed", the US-based refugee advocacy NGO said that the tasks facing international leaders, the UN, MONUC and the new civilian transitional national leadership - many of whom are leaders of former belligerent groups - were "monumental".

"Lack of funding, internal power struggles, the presence of armed groups that have little to gain from peace, outside influence from Rwanda and Uganda and an untested MONUC force all add to the difficulty of the situation," it said.

However, it also said that this was a time of great opportunity in the DRC, but cautioned that success could only be achieved if all parties were committed to capitalising on these opportunities.

"This is a time for political and military boldness, a time for innovation, a time to focus on overcoming obstacles. As MONUC leaders rightly point out, there is no military solution to peace in Ituri, the Kivus or elsewhere in the DRC," the agency said.

"It is also true, however, that continuing violence and lack of security in the east can threaten the overall peace process in Kinshasa. Progress must be made on both fronts, with great support from the international community, donor nations and international organisations until this fledgling government can function on its own," it added.

To this end, the report makes a wide-ranging series of recommendations for action to be taken by the DRC's interim government, by MONUC and by the international community.

[For the complete report, go to http://www.refugeesinternational.org/files/reports/MONUC-Mandate-to-Succeed-v2.pdf]

Theme(s): (IRIN) Conflict

[ENDS]

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