April 28th, 2009 in Breaking News, New World Disorder
CONGO: United Nations backing up an abusive army and doing too little to protect the civilian population
Reuters AlertNet - Congolese civilians flee as U.N. and army take on rebels.
More than 100,000 people have been displaced in the past seven weeks in eastern Congo as civilians suffer attacks from both Rwandan Hutu rebels and Congolese forces, right under the noses of U.N. peacekeepers, aid and rights groups say.
The U.N. peacekeeping force in Congo, MONUC, has for three weeks been conducting joint operations in North Kivu province with Congolese troops against Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) rebel fighters, whom aid workers accuse of raping and killing civilians.
But now rights groups say Congolese troops are themselves launching indiscriminate attacks against civilians, while an overstretched MONUC does little to stop them.
“This (joint) operation is going badly, with the United Nations backing up an abusive army and doing too little to protect the civilian population,” said Anneke Van Woudenberg, Human Rights Watch’s senior researcher for Congo.
“Congolese forces are looting, killing and raping under the watch of U.N. forces.”
The 17,000-strong MONUC force has requested a temporary increase of 3,000 troops and police to help it deal with renewed fighting in the area.
CONGO: United Nations backing up an abusive army and doing too little to protect the civilian population | FREE PRESS INTERNATIONAL
CONGO: United Nations backing up an abusive army and doing too little to protect the civilian population
Reuters AlertNet - Congolese civilians flee as U.N. and army take on rebels.
More than 100,000 people have been displaced in the past seven weeks in eastern Congo as civilians suffer attacks from both Rwandan Hutu rebels and Congolese forces, right under the noses of U.N. peacekeepers, aid and rights groups say.
The U.N. peacekeeping force in Congo, MONUC, has for three weeks been conducting joint operations in North Kivu province with Congolese troops against Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) rebel fighters, whom aid workers accuse of raping and killing civilians.
But now rights groups say Congolese troops are themselves launching indiscriminate attacks against civilians, while an overstretched MONUC does little to stop them.
“This (joint) operation is going badly, with the United Nations backing up an abusive army and doing too little to protect the civilian population,” said Anneke Van Woudenberg, Human Rights Watch’s senior researcher for Congo.
“Congolese forces are looting, killing and raping under the watch of U.N. forces.”
The 17,000-strong MONUC force has requested a temporary increase of 3,000 troops and police to help it deal with renewed fighting in the area.
CONGO: United Nations backing up an abusive army and doing too little to protect the civilian population | FREE PRESS INTERNATIONAL