afrol News, 24 July - Top United Nations official and Congolese minister are planning to review implementation of security and stabilisation plan for eastern DR Congo. The plan will also include improvements to roads, police stations and other priority infrastructural projects.

Deputy Special Representative of Secretary-General and Humanitarian Coordinator for DRC Mr Ross Mountain, and Minister Olivier Kamitatu will meet local authorities and representatives of UN agencies to discuss Amani Programme, technical committee on peace and security in North Kivu province.

Mr. Mountain and Mr. Kamitatu traveled yesterday along one of country's main road undergoing renovation, between Saké and Masisi, which will provide employment to more than 1000 people living along it over next three months. A similar rehabilitation project along Rutshuru-Ishasha road is also due to start soon.

Meanwhile, UN Mission in DRC (MONUC) has reported several violations by armed groups who signed ceasefire in Ituri province. "On Monday, two local armed groups exchanged fire in the town of Tchey. No casualties were reported, and battle ended with involvement of UN peacekeepers," UN reported.

In South Kivu UN peacekeepers also intervened three times this week to put an end to gun battles between local Congolese groups.

At its weekly press conference yesterday MONUC called on armed groups in eastern DRC to end the suffering of people of Kivus by respecting the Goma Acts of engagement.

MONUC also applauded progress of Amani Programme in relation to work of Joint Committee on Peace and Security and its subsidiary bodies, noting reduction in armed clashes and improved access for humanitarian support to vulnerable people.

However, mission said progress remained very slow and civilian population in both North and South Kivu continued to be subjected to serious human rights violations, saying this was creating a climate of fear, which was preventing return of more than a million displaced people.

Humanitarian situation in eastern Congo is among worst in the world, despite the fact that DRC held historic elections in 2006 which allowed people to vote freely for their leaders for the first time.

In January, 2008, following weeks of negotiations, 22 armed groups and government came together in town of Goma, capital of North Kivu province in east, and signed a ceasefire agreement.

Since war broke out in DRC in 1998, more than 5 million people have died, most of them from lack of access to food and health care. Although conflict officially ended in 2003, fighting has continued, mainly in the country's eastern provinces.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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