DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: The U.N. Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Hervé Ladsous ends his visit to the DRC and stresses stability and reconcialiation

Record ID: 349558

  • Title: DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: The U.N. Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Hervé Ladsous ends his visit to the DRC and stresses stability and reconcialiation
  • Date: 30th January 2012
  • Summary: MORE OF RESIDENTS OF THE VILLAGE GOING ABOUT THEIR DAILY CHORES VARIOUS OF TOWN HALL MEETING (SOUNDBITE) (French) JEAN CLAUDE BASIKI, NTOTO VILLAGE DOCTOR SAYING: "We ask for assistance in finding ways for MONUSCO to help the community in urgent cases , as well as elsewhere beyong Ntoto." VARIOUS OF LADSOUS SPEAKING TO RESIDENT (SOUNDBITE) (French) HEAD OF PEACEKEEPI
  • Embargoed: 14th February 2012 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Congo
  • Country: Congo, Democratic Republic of
  • Topics: Conflict,International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVA1KZ1N6HYHNCFVQBI02JAKC0OZ
  • Story Text: United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Hervey Ladsous wrapped up his first official visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on January 28.
    During the four-day visit, Ladsous toured in Ntoto village in North Kivu, in eastern Congo, and met opposition party officials in the capital Kinshasa, where tensions have been running high since a vote that pitted Joseph Kabila against his chief rival Etienne Tshisekedi was marred by violence.
    Ladsous stressed that the main purpose of his visit is to hear and witness first hand accounts from Congolese, especially those living in the troubled eastern Congo, a region that is still plagued by armed groups that left five million people dead in the 1998-2003 war.
    "There are no schools, clinics are not functioning, nothing works here because of insecurity," said Jacques Rabute, an Ntoto village resident.
    "We ask for assistance in finding ways for MONUSCO to help the community in urgent cases, as well as elsewhere beyond Ntoto" said Jean Claude Basiki.
    Ladsous called on the government to reaffirm its authority and said that Monusco will be working with to strengthen the country's armed forces and protect civilians.
    "I think that it's important in this region where there are the state is non existent, the Congolese government needs some structure. We will assist the government, and the army as well as the national police and the justice system. North Kivu, both Kivus need to go back to a state where a law and order reigns," he said.
    Monusco has a 20, 000 strong peacekeeping force in DRC, the biggest UN force in the world.
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