UN raises concerns over civilians in east

Even before Rwandan and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) troops engage Rwandan Hutu rebels in eastern DRC, the UN Mission in the country, MONUC, has raised fears about the safety of civilians there.



"Because of the presence of Rwandan troops, the FDLR [Forces démocratiques pour la liberation du Rwanda] have withdrawn to positions on the Rutshuru-Ishasha road to hide in Virunga national park, which might have caused some panic among the local population," said Jean-Paul Dietrich, the military spokesman for MONUC.



He added that some 50 families had already fled their homes because of the operation. "FDLR forces have not yet entered into combat, but FDLR movements have been observed in areas in the north of Masisi district, notably Kashebere and Nyabiondo, towards Kibati, 10km northwest of Kashebere," said Dietrich.



Alan Doss, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s envoy in the DRC, is touring the east of the country.



On 25 January, he called on all armed groups to free children still in their ranks.



He said the integration of members of these groups into the national army or civilian life "should not serve as a pretext to recruit or re-recruit children. Those who have been recruited should be freed immediately."



Aid agencies working with child protection estimate there are 3,000 underage fighters in the ranks of armed groups in DRC, most of them in the two Kivu provinces. Accurate assessments of the precise number have been hampered by the resumption of fighting in North Kivu since August 2008.



Now that renewed fighting was imminent, said Doss, children in the FDLR "must not be allowed to take part in combat; they should be withdrawn from the FDLR’s ranks before any military operation".



MONUC, which on 26 January announced it would provide logistical support to the Rwandan-DRC operation, has also said it was ready to help extricate and repatriate any children in the FDLR.



ei/am/mw