MONUC urged to protect civilians

The DRC government has condemned what it called the “latest massacre perpetrated by the Rwandan army” in South Kivu and urged MONUC to use its ‘Chapter VII’ enforcement mandate to protect civilians, Congolese state television reported. “Today, the UN should use coercive measures in order to neutralise the aggressors, in other words, demilitarise the occupied territories but also force the aggressor troops to withdraw from the DRC so as to protect civilians there,” Human Rights Minister Leonard Okitundu said on Sunday. Resolution 1291 adopted by the UN Security Council in February authorised MONUC to protect civilians under imminent threat of physical violence “in the areas of deployment of its infantry battalions”. The Catholic missionary news agency MISNA on Saturday said Rwandan-backed rebel forces had killed about 300 people on 14-15 May in Katogota, about 60 km south of Bukavu. The RCD said it was investigating the charge.