Africa-EU Ministers must Act on DRC and Darfur

(Press Statement)--African Citizens call on the Ministerial Troika for an urgent Action to protect lives of Civilians.

Addis Ababa, Kampala, Dakar, Arusha, Kinshasa - Pretoria: 20thNovember 2008: As the 11th Africa - EU Ministerial Troika is gathering in Addis Ababa, leading African Civil Society Organisations within the continent urge the Ministers and their governments to act urgently in investing more resources and to use all leverages in order to tackle the ongoing killing of civilians in the Eastern Part of the Democratic Republic of Congo and to alleviate the suffering of Darfurians.

Eastern DRC:

Since the end of August, intense fighting has resumed between government forces (FARDC) and the rebel CNDP and a number of other militia groups leaving in tatters the peace process that began in Goma in January 2008. In the last few days, fighting has intensified in many areas, causing deaths, rapes, lootings, forced recruitment and further displacements of civilian populations. The population has thus been immersed in unspeakable suffering.

As the humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate, the international community must bring pressure on all the parties to the conflict to bring a definitive end to hostilities, to provide immediate protection to civilians and to ensure immediate access for impartial humanitarian organizations to deliver life-saving assistance

‘It is time for a change in pace in the world’s political engagement with the crisis in Eastern DRC. It is not acceptable for human suffering to continue on this scale with a complete breakdown in the existing political processes’ said: Elijah Munyuki, CEO of the SADC Lawyers Association.

‘A zero-tolerance position must be applied on all ceasefire violations as well as human rights abuses by any of the parties’’ said Mr. Allioune Tine, Executive Director of Rencontre Africaine des Droits de l’Homme (RADDHO) a leading continental Human Rights network.

‘The suffering has gone on too long for the population of North Kivu. The international community must honour its responsibility to protect civilians before DRC falls back in another general war’: said: Ms. Roselyn Musa, Senior Advocacy Officer of the African Women’s Development and Communication Network (FEMNET)

Darfur:

In Darfur, the scale of the crisis is bigger than ever. There are 2.7 million IDPs and 4.7 million conflict-affected people in need of humanitarian assistance which, humanitarian agencies are finding it harder than ever to provide. Only 65 per cent of the affected population are now accessible by humanitarian agencies.

‘While we welcome the Government of Sudan’s recently announced ceasefire, there are already reports that they broke it less than 48 hours later by conducting new bombing and attacks. The international community must ensure that it is adhered to and monitored. Previous ceasefire announcements have quickly fallen apart’’ said: Dismas Nkunda, Co-Chair of Darfur Consortium and Co-Director of the International Refugee Rights Initiative (IRRI). ‘’A unilateral ceasefire cannot resolve the Darfur crisis - more pressure must also be put on the many different rebel factions to return to the negotiating table’: He added.

‘The international community’s failure to provide UNAMID with adequate troop and equipment is the latest in a long line of broken promises to the people of Darfur. Today, less than 50 per cent of military personnel are deployed out of a supposed total of 19,555’: said Mr. Don Deya, CEO of the East Africa Law Society. ‘While discussing on the implementation of the new Africa - EU partnership African and European Ministers must come up with a concrete offer to help end the suffering in Darfur’: He added.

For interview/comments:

Mr. Don Deya, CEO of the East Africa Law Society: (English) Tel.: +255 787 066 888

Mr. Dismas Nkunda: Co-Chair of Darfur Consortium (English): Tel. +256 782 31 04 04

Mr. Allioune Tine, Secretary General RADDHO (French, English): Tel.: +221 77 644 3396

Ms. Roselynn Musa: Senior Advocacy Officer, FEMNET (English):Tel.: +254 724 26 29 52

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