Oshima urged to help South Kivu

Civil society representatives in the eastern province of South Kivu have appealed to the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Kenzo Oshima, to help residents with medical and food aid, while awaiting the departure of “occupation forces” from their territory. In a letter to Oshima who visited eastern DRC at the weekend, various members of civil society said the most pressing problem in South Kivu at the moment was the “occupation by Rwandan and Burundian troops” which, among other things, had “destroyed infrastructures, the environment and caused the displacement of rural populations”. The letter urged the UN to “stand firm” in implementing the Security Council’s resolutions on the DRC and called for the “prompt deployment” of the UN Mission in DRC (MONUC) throughout South Kivu, especially in Bukavu and Uvira. Civil society representatives also raised these concerns during a meeting with Oshima in Bukavu on Sunday.