Amnesty International is deeply concerned at worsening security situation

Amnesty International is deeply concerned at the worsening security situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Hundreds of thousands of people, most of them women and children, have been displaced by this fighting and previous rounds of the conflict. These people are in a desperate situation. There is not enough food, water, medical supplies or shelter.

International humanitarian operations are only just restarting although many displaced people remain inaccessible to this aid. In recent years it is women and children who have borne the brunt of the conflict. Horrifying numbers of women and children have been subjected to rape and other violence.

We are calling on the UN Security Council to urgently reinforce the UN peacekeeping force (MONUC) in North Kivu province. Peacekeepers must have the necessary intelligence-gathering, air-surveillance and other assets to ensure effective protection of civilians. This is necessary also to forestall possible armed group attacks against local communities, to safeguard humanitarian operations and to enforce the UN arms embargo on the DRC in line with MONUC's existing mandate.

Amnesty International also calls on world leaders to bring pressure to all parties to the conflict to ensure that humanitarian aid agencies are not hindered in their work to provide humanitarian aid to displaced people, including those who are injured. Safe humanitarian corridors must be opened across North Kivu province.

We have sent an open letter to Australia's Minister for Foreign Affairs, Stephen Smith, urging him to deploy Australia’s strongest possible efforts to help avert a major humanitarian crisis.

We sent this letter to The Hon. Stephen Smith, Minister for Foreign Affairs

6 November 2008

The Hon Stephen Smith MP
Minister for Foreign Affairs
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600
FAX: 02 6273 4112, 08 9272 3477

Dear Minister,

On behalf of Amnesty International Australia’s 80,000 supporters I am writing to express our deep concern at the worsening security situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). We call for Australia’s strongest possible efforts to help avert a major humanitarian crisis.

At least 250,000 civilians, most of them women and children, were displaced by the recent fighting. This brings the total number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in North Kivu province from this and previous rounds of conflict to well over one million, and as high as 1.6 million according to some estimates. These people are in a desperate situation, without sufficient food, water, medical supplies or shelter.

As you are aware the situation has the potential to turn into a humanitarian catastrophe. Reinforcements, additional equipment and specialist personnel are required for the UN peace-keeping force, MONUC, so that it can protect civilians more effectively.

MONUC remains the only force capable of providing meaningful protection to civilians. However the force is badly overstretched. MONUC is contending with resurgent armed group violence on a number of fronts elsewhere in the DRC as well as perennial instability in other areas. Present resourcing precludes MONUC from forestalling armed group attacks against civilian populations, safeguarding humanitarian operations and enforcing the UN arms embargo on the DRC.

On 3 October 2008, Alan Doss, the Head of MONUC and Special Representative of the UN Secretary General to the DRC, requested the UN Security Council to authorise additional peacekeepers and equipment to enable MONUC to contain the spreading violence. This call has also been supported by Alain Le Roy, the UN Under-Secretary General with responsibility for peacekeeping operations, and, on 5 November, by the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, himself. The Security Council has yet to respond to these requests.

MONUC has asked for two infantry battalions, two companies of special forces, 18 utility helicopters with 260 personnel and two C-130 Hercules aircraft with 50 staff, a company of engineers, intelligence experts, military trainers and two police units. We call on Australia to exert pressure on the UN Security Council - and its permanent and non-permanent member states - to strengthen efforts to stop the human rights violations in the DRC.

We welcome your announcement last weekend that the Federal Government would contribute $1 million for humanitarian assistance to the crisis. We urge you, however, to consider providing substantial additional funding to ensure that the international community is able to respond adequately to the looming humanitarian emergency.

Thank you for your consideration of this important and pressing matter.

Yours sincerely,

Claire Mallinson, National Director

More info

Read our latest report on the DRC: “North Kivu: No end to war on women and children”