Tomorrow, Kavumu, in South Kivu province, will begin a trial for crimes against humanity by rape and kidnapping, murder and participation in the insurgency of 18 defendants, including a provincial deputy. The trial, which is being conducted by the Bukavu Military Court, will be held during mobile court hearings, which are expected to last until 26 November.

As a reminder, from May 2013 to 2016, at least 51 children were abducted and subjected to sexual violence by unknown persons suspected of being militiamen in Kavumu in the territory of Kabare. At least two children died as a result of these violations.

MONUSCO has followed this case closely and provided technical, logistical and financial support throughout the investigation by documenting these violations, protecting victims and witnesses, and organising joint investigation missions alongside Congolese justice.

Bukavu

The mobile hearings are also supported by MONUSCO, which has also put in place a protection plan so that the 46 victims and 20 witnesses mentioned are not worried. In addition, the Mission will attend this trial.

Change in the United Nations leadership team in the Democratic Republic of the Congo with the forthcoming arrival of Ms. Kim Bolduc whom the Secretary-General has appointed as the Deputy Special Representative to MONUSCO.

Kim Bolduc will also serve as United Nations Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator and Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).

Ms. Bolduc succeeds Mr. Mamadou Diallo. She comes to this position with more than 30 years of experience in international development and humanitarian work. We welcome him.

Activities of MONUSCO components

Civil Affairs: Under the supervision of the Civil Affairs Section, several substantive sections of the MONUSCO office carried out on 1 November 2017 a descent into Kabeke locality in Manono territory, about 200 km north-east of is from Manono-centre.

This joint mission comes after the one carried out in the localities of Mbayo and Mukebo, in the Manono territory.

The territorial authorities of Manono, the coordination of the civil society, and two NGOs of humanitarian actions and development also took part in this mission whose objective was to evaluate the work of the local committees of peace, called “Baraza” , installed within the framework of the resolution of the inter community conflicts.

The mission also aimed to examine the implementation of projects financed by MONUSCO for the benefit of communities as part of projects to reduce community violence. In recent weeks, the MONUSCO / Kalemie office has been evaluating the work of members of local peace committees supported by the Stability Island program between 2015 and 2016 to promote peaceful coexistence between communities. Twa and Bantu.

Human rights

The United Nations Joint Human Rights Office, in collaboration with the MONUSCO / Lubumbashi Strategic Communications and Public Information Section, has been organising a three-day workshop on Tuesday, November 7, 2017 intention of twenty-five journalists of the copper capital .

This workshop is under the theme: “Rights and Duties of the Media in Election Periods”.

During the first day, the professionals of the pen and the microphone of Lubumbashi (written press, audio-visual press) were edified on several topics including “The legal framework of the elections in DRC, by the provincial executive secretariat of the CENI Haut -Katanga; Explanations of the two pillars of Resolution 2348: Protection of civilians and the support of the agreement of 31 December 2016 by IOC / Lubumbashi; and the issue of the journalist’s security in the electoral context, by the Human Rights Research Institute “.

This Wednesday, the journalists will be edified on other essential issues relating to the repression of press offences in Congolese law.

Child protection

In the past two weeks, 94 children (74 boys and 20 girls) have been victims of serious human rights violations in the Kasai provinces and the east of the country, according to reports from the Child Protection section of the country. MONUSCO.

These violations are attributable to the Kamuina Nsapu militia and other armed groups namely Mayi-Mayi Mazembe, Renovated NDC, FDLR, Rahiya Mutomboki, Mayi-Mayi Yakuntumba, Mayi-Mayi Charles, ADF, APCLS, Nyatura, FRPI, Pareco and Mailaka as well as defence and security services officers. The vast majority of these violations were perpetrated by Kamuina Nsapu (37) and Mayi-Mayi Mazembe (23) militia.

More than half of the violations against children are cases of recruitment and use by armed groups and the Kamuina Nsapu militia. In addition to the verified cases of child recruitment and use, MONUSCO has been informed of at least 269 such allegations by Kamuina Nsapu during the first half of 2017 in the Kasai region. Other serious violations of children’s rights concern sexual violence (13 girl victims), killings (7 boys), mutilation (4 boys), kidnappings (8 boys and 5 girls victims), attacks on 8 schools and one hospital.

In Bukavu, the Child Protection Section facilitated a meeting of the 25th Joint Technical Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict (GTTC), bringing together 25 state and non-state actors, including the new provincial minister of justice.

The withdrawal of the FARDC from the UN blacklist for the recruitment of children in armed conflict was among the topics covered by the agenda of the meeting and was warmly welcomed by the audience. In addition, particular attention was paid to the urgent need to strengthen the means and actions for the fight against sexual violence committed by state actors, with a view to securing the withdrawal of the FARDC from the list of the UN for sexual violence.

In Tshikapa, an exercise to check the age of new recruits to the military career was conducted by the Congolese Armed Forces and members of the United Nations Task Force on Children and Armed Conflict in the DRC (Protection Section child of MONUSCO, UNICEF and UNHCR).

This operation aims to prevent the recruitment of people under the age of 18 into the FARDC.

In Bunia, MONUSCO continues to support children formerly associated with armed groups and survivors of sexual violence during their socio-economic reintegration through a Community Violence Reduction (CVR) project that allows these children children to embark on the artisanal soap creation market.

In Goma, the Child Protection Section, the United Nations Joint Human Rights Office (UNJHRO), the Prosecution Support Unit, the American Bar Association and Advocate Without Borders continue to work together to bring together facts constituting the case of Cheka, former leader of the Mayi-Mayi armed group, who is currently under arrest. One of the main objectives of this collaboration is to ensure that justice is effectively served in cases of child rights violations committed by the defendant.

The October 31 protests in the city of Goma resulted in the death of a 13-year-old child and the injuries of two other 14-year-olds.

MONUSCO recalls that in all circumstances the well-being and safety of children must be respected and guaranteed. Children should not be the victims of political demonstrations.

Activities of the Country Team

Launch of the Joint Narrative on the fight against malnutrition: a common commitment for the reduction of chronic malnutrition in the DRC:

On October 20, 2017, the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in Kinshasa launched the joint Narrative against Malnutrition: High Level Multi-sectoral Engagement and Coordination to Combat Chronic Malnutrition in Kinshasa, DRC.

Malnutrition is the most important underlying cause of infant and child mortality in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Every year 6 million children are affected by chronic malnutrition. Not well known, it has a direct impact on children’s well-being, growth, cognitive development and schooling. Chronic malnutrition is also a drag on a country’s economy because it leads to significant productivity losses.

Since 2013, the DRC has subscribed to the movement “Strengthening Nutrition” (SUN Movement) which aims to reverse the trend of chronic malnutrition. Several interventions are being carried out by the Government of the DRC jointly with several partners, including UNICEF and the World Bank. A decree of the Primature, has established an institutional framework necessary for a multi-stakeholder and multi-sectoral action that will allow different actors to coordinate interventions primarily for the benefit of the child during the first 1,000 days of life that is from pregnancy to the child’s second birthday. It is in this context that the joint Narrative against malnutrition was launched under the leadership of the Ministry of Public Health with a view to creating a synergy of actions of all the actors and sectors involved in the field of nutrition. Congolese singer Fally Ipupa has joined UNICEF in the fight against malnutrition. He travelled to Bumbu Mother and Child Health Center on Thursday, November 2, where he was able to attend an infant and young child feeding counselings session with mothers and caregivers from 0 – 59 month. He was thus able to realize the magnitude of the situation and the need for all to engage in the fight against this scourge.

FAO assists conflict-affected households in Kasaï Oriental:

From 18 to 24 October 2017, 2,500 farm households affected by the conflict between the militia of the traditional chief Kamuina Nsapu and the security forces of the DRC received agricultural assistance from FAO. A total of 2,500 farmer and food crop kits were distributed in the Phase 4 (emergency) sites according to the classification of the IPC 15th acute cycle, specifically on the Mbuji-Mayi-Mabaya, Mbuji-Mayi Katende and Mbuji-Mayi – Tshilundu. These kits consist of 5,040 hoes, 1,900 spades, 1,900 rakes, 1,900 watering cans, 10300 kg of corn quality seeds. Mus, 6750 kg of Diamond variety quality cow-pea and 54 kg of vegetable seeds of amaranth, aubergine, tomato and okra.

FAO’s work is to support the improvement of productivity and food production and to organize the different communities in conflict prevention. It has three objectives: (i) to achieve 412 ha of quality cornfields to produce 494 tonnes of maize for consumption; (ii) cultivate 337.5 ha of quality cowpea fields and produce 270 tonnes of cowpeas for consumption; and grow 27 ha of vegetable fields and produce 324 tonnes of leafy vegetables and fresh fruits.

FAO assistance is part of two projects “Emergency Response in Agricultural Inputs for 5000 Most Vulnerable Households (Internally Displaced, Returned, Host Community Households) Victims of the Humanitarian Crisis in Kasai Central , Kasai, Kasai Oriental “and” Emergency humanitarian assistance to the populations affected by the conflicts of inter-communal armed militias in the provinces of Kasaï and Kasaï Central, Kasaï Oriental and Tanganyika “financed respectively by the Kingdom of Belgium and the USA

FAO continues its assistance to displaced people in Kikwit:

Begun on October 16, 2017 during the celebration of World Food Day, the distribution of agricultural inputs to 3,700 displaced people who fled the Kasai crisis continues in Kikwit in Kwilu province. About 1,500 IDPs have already been served in inputs. A total of 4.5 tonnes of maize and cow-pea food seed, 75 kg of market garden seeds and 10 000 agricultural implements have already been distributed.

The purpose of this FAO assistance is to support the revival of agricultural activities, to restore hope and dignity to households that have lost everything in their flight. FAO’s work is in line with the theme of World Food Day “Changing the future of migration. Let’s invest in food security and rural development. ” The Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Georges Kabongo personally chaired the celebration of this day in Kikwit alongside Mr. Alexis Bonte, Representative ai of FAO.

The DRC has experts on the Participatory Community Planning approach “PCP”:

30 experts have just completed a training of facilitators on the Participatory Community Planning approach, PCP in acronym. The training, which took place in Goma on Saturday, October 28, 2017, brought together experts from the Rome-based UN Agencies (FAO, WFP and IFAD) and partners from Rome, Kigali, Djibouti, Nairobi and Johannesburg. of the DRC.
Based on the lessons learned and recommendations from the work, the CFP facilitators have defined the next steps for the implementation of this approach. And it is the village of Ruseke in the Rutshuru territory, with about 420 households, which has been selected as a test site for the practical phase from 30 October to 4 November 2017. The CFP is a participatory exercise at the level of the community to identify needs and tailor program responses to local needs by ensuring community prioritization and ownership. It is an approach that will be used by the three agencies to guide the implementation of resilience programs under the Purchasing for Progress program, P4P in acronym.

The program to strengthen livelihood resilience in protracted crisis contexts, implemented by the Rome-based UN Agencies, aims to contribute to a sustainable increase in food security status and build resilience to shocks and resilience. stressors of men, women, boys and girls and households with a particular focus on vulnerable women and children.

Launch of the National Report on Human Development in the province:

The 2016 National Human Development Report will be presented in North Kivu Province and specifically in Goma by the local authorities and the UNDP Representative on Wednesday 8 November. Focusing on the theme: “Inclusive growth, sustainable development and the challenge of decentralisation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo”, this independent report drawn up at national level by experts from different fields, identifies under a unifying theme the major issues and challenges of development and recommends avenues for developing policies and strategies to reduce poverty and promote sustainable human development.

Since 1990, UNDP has been supporting the preparation and publication of National Reports that present the human development situation of the country of the period. The interest of these reports is that they are not only limited to raising issues but also propose solutions in the form of policies and recommendations.

Recall that this report was officially launched in Kinshasa by Prime Minister Bruno Tshibala Nzenzhe and the UNDP Resident Representative on September 28th. This planning tool will need to be disseminated in all provinces to allow for consideration of its recommendations in the implementation of national and provincial development plans.

Thomas Lubanga’s sentence will not be reduced

On Friday, 3 November 2017, the Panel of Judges of the Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Court decided that the sentence of Mr. Thomas Lubanga Dyilo will not be reduced under article 110 of the Rome Statute. The judges determined that there has been no significant change in Mr. Lubanga’s circumstances since the first non-sentencing decision in September 2015. He will finish serving his sentence on March 15, 2020.

Thomas Lubanga was sentenced to 14 years imprisonment as a co-author of war crimes involving the conscription, conscription and use of children under 15 years of age in armed conflict.
Military situation

The main news of the week concerns the security situation in the provinces of North Kivu, Ituri, and Haut-Uélé, where the security situation remains fragile, due to the frequent attacks perpetrated by different armed groups against the Forces de defense and security.

However, the protection of civilians remains at the heart of the military mechanism that the Force has implemented to protect populations against the negative activities of armed groups, the most recent of which are the attacks carried out by alleged Nyatura on 31 October 2017 in Nyanzale. in the territory of Rutshuru. A Rapid Reaction Force was immediately deployed to the scene, in coordination with our partners, the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC), to ensure the protection of civilians and put an end to the actions of this armed group .

The MONUSCO Force continues to fulfill its mandate to protect populations in areas of violence with the implementation of a security apparatus based on the flexibility and mobility of troops.

As such, like Pinga in the territory of Walikale and Kipese in the Lubero, temporary operational bases have just been planned at Kasugho near Lubero, Miriki in North Kivu, Tadu south of Faradje, Demu in Haut-Uélé and Bushushu in South Kivu, to ensure a safe and healthy environment in these areas, through intensified patrols and interaction with local populations.

In the territory of Ituri, joint military operations with the FARDC are continuing in the areas of Veba-Geti with the aim of protecting the populations against the activism of the FRPI’s refractory elements.

Moreover, it should be pointed out that following the attack perpetrated by alleged ADF combatants on 9 October 2017 on the MONUSCO Force positions in the locality of Mamundioma, which caused casualties in the ranks of the peacekeepers, the Force is sad to announce the death of one of the Tanzanian soldiers previously evacuated to Nairobi’s referral hospital in Kenya.

Finally, it should be noted that, as part of an operational visit, the Deputy Military Adviser to the UN Secretary-General Major General Van Roosen Hugh arrived in Goma on 3 November 2017.

The purpose of his mission is to inquire about the security situation in the region and to assess the needs of the mission, essentially, in terms of support for the upcoming elections. He went successively to Nyanzale, in the territory of Rutshuru where the security situation remains volatile, in Uvira in South Kivu and Kamanyola. The Deputy Military Adviser also held talks with the South Kivu military operations commander.

Secretary-General Appoints Kim Bolduc of Canada as Deputy Special Representative for Democratic Republic of Congo

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced on November 1, 2017, the appointment of Ms. Kim Bolduc of Canada as her Deputy Special Representative to the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo of Congo (MONUSCO). She will also serve as Resident Coordinator of the United Nations and Humanitarian Coordinator and Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).

Ms. Bolduc succeeds Mr. Mamadou Diallo of Guinea, who completed his mission in October and to whom the Secretary-General expresses his gratitude for the leadership and dedication he has shown during his tenure.

Ms. Bolduc comes to this position with more than 30 years of experience in international development and humanitarian work, being also recognized for her management and leadership skills. Since 2014, she has been Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO).

She was formerly United Nations Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in Panama from 2010 to 2014, after serving as Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti. (MINUSTAH), and Resident Coordinator and Resident Representative of UNDP in Brazil.

Since joining the Organization in 1987, she has held various field positions in the United Nations system, including Honduras, Iraq and Mozambique.

Ms. Bolduc holds a Master’s degree in Development and International Cooperation from the University of Ottawa in Canada.

Born in 1952, she is married and has a son.