AFRICA/DEMOCRATIC CONGO - More than 10,000 militia hand in weapons in north east Ituri region of Congo where at least 60,000 have died since 1999 in civil war

Bunia (Fides Service)- A United Nations disarmament operation is underway in the north eastern Ituri region of Democratic Congo where at least 60,000 have been killed in civil war since 1999 involving about ten ethnic groups. The UN says that already more than 10,000 militia have handed over their weapons to the UN mission in Congo MONUC.
The programme of disarmament has allowed the dismantling of the main militia group Armed Forces of the People of Congo FAPC “This group no longer exists, it is past history” said Col. Kwaje Duku, head of the national disarmament commission set up in Ituri by the government of Congo.
Among the 2,014 disarmed FAPC militia, 251 were child soldiers considered victims rather than soldiers by the authorities. These children were in fact abducted and used as slaves for adult militia, boys as cooks and carriers and girls as ‘wives’”.
The adult militia who surrendered were sent to a transit camp. After listening to an information seminar they will decide whether to join the new national army or return to civilian life.
According to MONUC there are still about 2,000 to be disarmed.
The disarmament process in Ituri was accelerated following a MONUC attack after ten Bangladeshi UN peace keepers were massacred at the end of February. The UN peace keeping mission in Congo MONUC was established by the UN Security Council on 30 November 1999 following the signing in Lusaka of a cease fire by Democratic Congo and five other countries with troops involved in the civil war which ended three years later. The Mission’s task is to monitor the treaty, guarantee border security to prevent infiltration of armed groups, support national dialogue and manage the programme to disarm, de-mobilise and reintegrate militia. In 2003 the mission was reinforced in numbers and mandate for a total sum of about 650 million dollars.
On 1 October 2004 the UN Security Council added 6,000 units to the mission bringing the total number of troops to 16,700 and extending its mandate supposed to expire on 31 March 2005. The resolution also said the Mission was to collaborate with the mission in Burundi ONUB of policing and taking measures to guarantee peaceful elections next year. (LM.) (Agenzia Fides 18/4/2005 righe 41 parole 490)