from JEAN KASSONGO in Kinshasa, DRC
DRC Bureau
KINSHASA, (CAJ News) – THE International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is accompanying convoys from Goma to Kinshasa, transporting disarmed individuals from the armed forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the national police force.
This operation to transport “several hundred” individuals began on Wednesday following a request on ICRC to act as a neutral intermediary in the conflict ravaging the eastern parts of the country.
The operation will take place over several days.
ICRC said it had been approached by several actors, notably the DRC’s Ministry of Defence and Veterans, United Nations mission in DRC (MONUSCO) and the Congo Alliance River/M23 Movement.
“Wherever the ICRC operates in the world, we facilitate dialogue between the parties concerned and ensure humanitarian considerations are part of the negotiations, drawing on our long experience,” said François Moreillon, the head of the ICRC’s delegation in the DRC.
“Our role as a neutral intermediary can therefore help to resolve complex humanitarian problems by minimising the consequences for populations.”
All individuals had been in Goma at the military base of MONUSCO.
Goma is more than 2 600 kilometres northeast of Kinshasa, the capital of DRC.
– CAJ News