Zaire: Security Council stresses humanitarian objectives.

Since September 1996, the situation in Zaire had undergone a "sharp transformation", Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali stated on 29 November. Fighting between that country's army and the rebels had intensified and resulted in the rebels' takeover, by 4 November 1996, of the towns of Uvira, Bukavu and Goma, causing a massive movement of over a million Rwandan and Burundian refugees who needed urgent humanitarian relief, he reported (S/1996/993).

On 4 November, Laurent-Desire Kabila, leader of a rebel group - Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo-Zaire (ADFL) - had announced a "unilateral cease-fire" and on 10 November promised to open a "humanitarian corridor for refugees and relief organizations", at the same time warning that "any humanitarian organizations wishing to operate in what he called 'liberated zones' had to deal with the ADFL", the Secretary-General said. Reacting to that statement, on 10 November the Zairian Minister of Information had warned international organizations "not to deal with or support the rebels, otherwise the Government could withdraw their right to work inside Zaire", he added.

"The divergent positions of the rebels and of the Government of Zaire on this issue have made negotiations regarding humanitarian corridors and the return of aid agencies, whose relocation the Secretary-General had reluctantly authorized earlier, to eastern Zaire extremely difficult", Mr. Boutros-Ghali stressed.

In September 1996, the Zairian Government had accused the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees - which was providing humanitarian aid to some 1.2 million Rwandan and Burundian refugees in eastern Zaire - of assisting the rebels. The Secretary-General sent a Special Envoy, Ibrahima Fall, to the area twice, from 22 to 23 September and from 18 to 24 October, who established that those accusations were unfounded. He also managed to identify the course of action that could help control or resolve the conflict. On 29 October, the Secretary-General appointed Raymond Chretien, as his Special Envoy for the Great Lakes region, whose mandate included the development of plans for defusing the tension and promotion of political dialogue.

Temporary multinational force authorized

The Security Council on 9 November expressed its grave concern at the deteriorating situation in eastern Zaire and welcomed the Secretary-General's proposal that a multinational force should be deployed there for humanitarian purposes. In unanimously adopting resolution 1078 (1996), the Council also strongly urged Member States to prepare arrangements for the safe delivery of humanitarian aid in the region and report to it as soon as possible to enable the Council to authorize the deployment of the multinational force. It decided that the cost of implementing the operation would be borne by participating Member States, as well as by voluntary contributions.

On 15 November, the Council welcomed the offers made by Member States, in consultation with the States in the region, concerning the "establishment for humanitarian purposes of a temporary multinational force to facilitate the immediate return of humanitarian organizations and the effective delivery by civilian relief organizations of humanitarian aid to alleviate the immediate suffering of displaced persons, refugees and civilians at risk in eastern Zaire", including the voluntary, orderly repatriation of refugees.

By unanimously adopting resolution 1080 (1996), the Council also authorized the Member States cooperating with the Secretary-General to conduct that operation to "achieve, by using all necessary means", those humanitarian objectives. It decided that the operation "shall terminate on 31 March 1997, unless the Council, on the basis of a report of the Secretary-General, determines that the objectives of the operation have been fulfilled earlier".

Addressing the Council, Robert R. Fowler of Canada said that over 20 countries had already committed more than 10,000 peace-keepers to the multinational force, with the main body of troops coming from France, the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada. He called for more contributions to the trust fund to support the participation of African countries in the operation. The mission did not envisage disarmament or interposition as elements of the force's mandate, he stated, since its primary task would be the delivery of humanitarian aid.

A 'pivotal role'

Security Council resolution 1080 (1996) had played a "pivotal role in the return of refugees", Special Envoy Chretien told the press at Headquarters on 13 December.

Some 600,000 refugees had already returned from eastern Zaire to Rwanda, but there were still a "few hundred thousand there", some of whom did not wish to return, the Special Envoy reported. In addition, there were some 700,000 refugees in the United Republic of Tanzania, including 520,000 from Rwanda, 100,000 from Burundi, and approximately 100,000 from Zaire, he added.

The Special Envoy also said he had discussed the issue of holding an international conference to deal with the root causes of the problems of the region with 10 regional leaders, and there was "no great enthusiasm" for the idea. The leaders felt the circumstances were "not yet ripe" for such an event, but had all indicated the "need for consultations first at the national and regional levels, followed, perhaps at a later stage, by some kind of a preliminary conference", Mr. Chretien stated.

Also, it had been clear that humanitarian assistance agencies and non-governmental organizations could have access to the refugees in eastern Zaire, and the rebel forces had indicated that they would not hinder the presence of refugees. Therefore, the Special Envoy did not think that much military support would be needed in the weeks to come.

RELATED ARTICLE: Great Lakes: Security Council to Take a More "Comprehensive and Integrated" Approach

On 22 December, the President of the Security Council, Ambassador Francesco Fulci of Italy, spoke of the situation in the Great Lakes region. "The general feeling is that in the next few months, the Council should take a more comprehensive and more integrated approach to the issue", he said. "Suggestions were made on increasing the involvement in the debate of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other humanitarian organizations. And, finally, the members of the Council shared the view that genocide cannot remain unpunished and expressed their strong support for the International Tribunal for Rwanda", the Council President added.

Major problems persisted in the Great Lakes region, notwithstanding the repatriation of a large part of the Rwandan refugees who were previously in the United Republic of Tanzania and Zaire. Those problems included: intermittent hostilities across Zaire's borders with its eastern neighbours; internal conflict within Zaire; the future of the ex-former Rwandese Armed Forces, the Interahamwe and their families who remain in Zaire, as well as in the United Republic of Tanzania; the unresolved conflict in Burundi; the prodigious demands made upon the Government of Rwanda by the massive return of refugees; and the continuing needs of hundreds of thousands of refugees and displaced persons who remain scattered in the region, particularly in Zaire.

RELATED ARTICLE: 'The Forgotten Victims': UNFPA Acts

An emergency reproductive healthcare initiative for refugees in the Great Lakes region of Central Africa, expected to benefit some 200,000 women, was announced on 15 November by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

Women were the main victims of rape and other forms of violence that escalated during conflicts and they need reproductive health services. UNFPA believed that women in emergency situations or in refugee camps had the same rights as others to have access, on the basis of free and voluntary choice, to comprehensive information and services for reproductive health, including family planning and safe maternity. In addition, they had the same rights to protection from sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS. It had to be recognized that women were primarily responsible for the well-being of refugee families. Therefore, their health was crucial, and reproductive health services were essential to helping them carry out their responsibilities.

While in an emergency or refugee camp situation, there was no exact quantitative data to substitute the extent of the problem. Based on qualitative data, UNFPA knew that rape and sexual violence against women were prevalent. It had decided to collaborate with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to provide reproductive health services. The initiative was based in part on previous emergency operations in countries like Bosnia and Herzegovina, and in Thailand, involving refugees from Cambodia.

Describing the birthing kits that would be sent to the region, a UNFPA spokesman said it would cost about $5 to $10 for a woman to have a safe delivery by using the kit. While not all the targets of the initiative were rape victims, the idea was to provide sanitary conditions so that women would survive, among other things, childbirth and related complications. Stating that there was a potential audience of 1 million people for the project, he said agencies had discussed this for more than two years. It had been recognized that women and children were generally overlooked in a war where the focus tended to be on stopping the fighting and providing food. Although that was not natural, the forgotten victims had been women and children. In a refugee situation where most men were absent - either serving as soldiers or having been killed - women were the key people in families. Anything that happened to them had an immediate impact on their children.