Media briefing for the Exit of MONUSCO from this December 31st, 2024 in North Kivu
Report of the Media Briefing of the Citizens Pact calling upon the withdraw of MONUSCO in North Kivu, the Democratic Republic of Congo
Representatives of the Victims of MONUSCO atrocities during our press briefing in Goma North Kivu on Tuesday December 31st, 2024 calling upon MONUSCO to leave and justice for the victims.
Yesterday December 31st, 2024 actors of the Civil Society, Pressure Groups, Pro-Democracy Groups and the victims of MONUSCO atrocities held a press briefing in Goma indicating their intention to put pressure on the United Nations Mission to leave North Kivu, the Democratic Republic and at the same grant justice to all those who have been victims of MONUSCO atrocities. They are now under an umbrella called “Citizens Pact for MONUSCO Exit in North Kivu/DRC and Justice for the victims of MONUSCO atrocities”.
The United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo known as MONUSCO was supposed to leave North Kivu on this particular date of December 31st, 2024 according to an exit plan made in 2022. However MONUSCO mandate was instead renewed for one year by the Security Council without clear reasons, and without engagement with the Congolese people especially those in North Kivu.
MONUSCO came in DRCongo in 1999 in order to restore peace which it completely failed to do on contrary Congolese believe that MONUSCO is part of the problem by proving guns to various rebel groups and by creating various armed groups in order to justify why MONUSCO should remain, but also because of this UN Forces DRC Government has not deployed enough efforts to ensure the security of its people. Many allegations of crimes and looting of natural resources have been brought forward by local communities against the United Nations forces which have fully made it to lose credibility among people.
In 2022 popular demonstrations spark in North Kivu calling upon MONUSCO to leave and in the process the UN Forces used live bullets which killed over 36 demonstrators but also 5 UN soldiers died. On top of that MONUSCO connived with DRC security forces and arrested many people who were perceived as leaders of the demonstrations, most of them are in prison until now, among them innocent people who were only found themselves in a wrong place, the same among those who were killed some found themselves in a wrong place on that day.
In order to calm the situation the United Nations together with DRCongo Government developed MONUSCO Exit Plan in which the last day was fixed on December 31st, 2024 when the last person working with MONUSCO should leave DRC.
In the process in August 2023 a group of Congolese called Wazalendo (Patriots) belonging to a religious group planned for a public demonstration in order to call for MONUSCO withdraw, unfortunately on that night many were massacred by the Congolese Security Services and many others are still in detentions including Pastor Ephraim Bisimwa the leader of the group, according to Amnesty International recent Report, MONUSCO gave wrong information to the Congolese local authorities about this group of Wazalendo and that it why they were massacred.
Calling for MONUSCO to leave
Our media briefing yesterday held at Wazalendo Radio Premises in Goma was to remind MONUSCO about the necessity to leave despite the excuses and pretext they can advance, especially that themselves brought to us their exit plan which they should respect. However instead of leaving MONUSCO came with other excuses which are not clear and not understandable to the population claiming that they are sharing necessary intelligence information to the DRC Army.
Innocent Mugaruka MONUSCO Political Affairs reacted:
“Those calling upon MONUSO to leave are enemies of this country at this period when MONUSCO is helping the DRC Army to fight M23 backed by Rwanda, you can see in one week M23 issued two Press Statements accusing MONUSCO to provide information to the Congolese Army, and now some people manipulated want to weaken our efforts, these people should be investigated and also find out their source of funding”, Innocent posted in a WhatsApp Group where various people are present.
Our reactions
We reminded Innocent that we were not there when MONUSCO and DRC Government concluded their exit plan by December 31st, 2024 we were only informed and took act of that development which we were pushing for, the MONUSCO exit was and still remains a popular demand in DRC and therefore the mandate cannot be extended without consultations with the people. We observed that the United Nations that claim to be champions of Human Rights, Democracy, Good Governance of all forms of freedoms should not take pleasure to violate people’s choices to live without the UN Forces. Much as we may tolerate those with different views, we strongly protested against Innocent threats to criminalize the demands of Congolese people, and in this way those who use MONUSCO in order to stay should be investigated.
On the issue of providing information and intelligence services, we noted that the very information MONUSCO shares with the DRC Army comes from Actors of the Civil Society and local people, and now it was time that this information is shared directly to the Army. We also observed that MONUSCO may not share credible information because it is operating in areas which are under the control of M23.
Commitment
From the day of December 31st, 2024 we committed to launch various activities aiming at pushing MONUSCO to exist and at the same time advocate for justice on behalf of all the victims of MONUSCO atrocities. Those in detentions should be released and compensation should be in place for all those who lost and at the same time DRC Government should commit about the non-repetition of these atrocities.
We call upon all people of good will in the world to stand with us and join us to claim for our freedom from the bondage of the United Nations Forces in DRC.
Thanks
Kulihoshi Musikami Pecos
Coordinator of COJESKI, and focal person of the Citizens Pact
Thanks
