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afrol.com, 5 October - Visiting Congo Kinshasa, UN's top human rights official, High Commissioner Mary Robinson, urged the leadership of Congo Kinshasa (DRC) to ensure respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. During her meeting with President Laurent-Désiré Kabila, Robinson, who wrapped up her official visit to the country yesterday, expressed concern about recent violations of human rights that had been brought to her attention. "Even in the case of a conflict like this which has affected your country, a way has to be found to integrate and respect fundamental freedoms," she said, referring in particular to the rights to freedom of expression, association and movement. Mrs. Robinson voiced her concern to President Kabila about the country's military court, and received assurances from him that it would not try civilians. The High Commissioner also held meetings in Goma with senior members of the Rassemblement Congolais pour la Democratie. She expressed her "extreme concern" about allegations of massacres carried out in the region which had prompted the Security Council to call for an international inquiry. In addition, she said she was worried about numerous rights violations regularly brought to her attention, including violations of the right to life; severe restrictions on freedom of opinion, expression and assembly; the use of torture; and the harassment of human rights defenders and other members of civil society. "The armed conflict which is affecting your country can in no way justify or excuse violations against defenceless civilians, the very young or the very old who are too weak to flee," she said. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has a special mandate providing for Special Rapporteurs and Representatives on the situation of human rights in Congo Kinshasa, which, on the latest occasion, was renewed in April this year. The respect for human rights is a basic element for the implementation of the provisions of the Lusaka Peace Agreement. Of special concern to the UN Rapporteurs have been the widespread use of Military Courts (Cour d'ordre militaire) in Congo. The UN protested the execution of 19 soldiers in Kinshasa between 28 January and 2 February 2000. Sixty-one other persons were at that moment sentenced to death by the Court, awaiting their execution. According to the Special Rapporteur, the sentences handed down by the Military Court, which cannot be appealed, are unfair and incompatible with the provisions contained in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Another special concern have been the use of child soldiers and thousands of youngsters being recruited by all parties to the conflict. After a tireless advocacy from UN institutions and NGOs on behalf of war-affected children in the country, Kabila in June approved a new law banning recruitment of children under 18 into the armed forces and establishing a National Commission on demobilisation. Source: Based on UN-sources
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