SECRETARY-GENERAL SUPPORTS IDEA OF MULTINATIONAL FORCE TO ADDRESS SITUATION IN EASTERN ZAIRE
Press Release
SG/SM/6104
SECRETARY-GENERAL SUPPORTS IDEA OF MULTINATIONAL FORCE TO ADDRESS SITUATION IN EASTERN ZAIRE
19961108 Citing Pressing Need, Says Force Should Be Formed By Member States, under Authority of Security CouncilThe following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for Secretary- General Boutros Boutros-Ghali:
The Secretary-General has been profoundly disturbed and gravely concerned at the most serious humanitarian situation that has been evolving in eastern Zaire for the past few weeks. He wrote three letters to the President of the Security Council, on 14, 24 and 29 October, drawing the attention of the members of the Security Council to these alarming developments. On 30 October, the Secretary-General appointed a Special Envoy to the Great Lakes Region, who is today in the region in an effort to establish the facts relating to the conflicts and develop urgent plans for defusing the tension and achieving a cease-fire, in order to allow for the negotiation process to begin.
On 6 November, the Secretary-General appointed a United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for the Great Lakes Region, who is already in the region and will join the Special Envoy. The Secretary-General has also been in constant touch with the leaders of the region. He telephoned and wrote letters to the Presidents of Zaire, Uganda, Kenya, the United Republic of Tanzania, Cameroon, Burundi and Rwanda, as well as the Secretary-General of the Organization of African Unity.
Yesterday, 7 November, the Secretary-General addressed another letter to the President of the Security Council, bringing out the dramatic deterioration of the situation in eastern Zaire in recent days and the very real threat to the lives of tens of thousands of men, women and children in the Zairian provinces of North Kivu and South Kivu. The fighting in eastern Zaire has caused massive displacement of more than 1.2 million Burundian and Rwandan refugees, as well as tens of thousands of Zairians. About 400,000 refugees are now moving towards the north-western tip of Lake Kivu. More than 115,000 refugees who fled their camp last week are believed to be still on the move south. There is no information on 500,000 refugees in Bakavu and Uvira. At
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least 1 million Rwandan and Burundian refugees remain in Zaire west of Goma. It seems that the fleeing refugees are moving in search of water, rather than a planned displacement inside Zaire.
Reports of returnees to Rwanda indicate that people are dying of thirst. Most of these victims of the armed conflict have been forced to abandon their camps and homes and move westwards towards some of the most inhospitable and inaccessible areas in Zaire, whereas many others have fled to the United Republic of Tanzania and Uganda. The United Nations and its humanitarian agencies, as well as relief non-governmental organizations, have for the past several months rendered invaluable service by distributing food and other necessities to the needy, often against heavy odds in extremely dangerous circumstances. To his regret, however, the Secretary-General was obliged to authorize the temporary relocation of the international staff to neighbouring countries for reasons of safety and security. These staff will return as soon as security conditions permit.
The situation in eastern Zaire calls for determined, effective and immediate action by the international community. It is imperative to stabilize the situation and establish conditions for the safe delivery of humanitarian assistance to the refugees and displaced persons. In this regard, the Secretary-General welcomes the initiative of seven African Leaders to convene their first summit on the situation in eastern Zaire, which took place in Nairobi on 5 November. This summit, with which the Organization of African Unity was associated, has called for the immediate setting up of safe corridors and temporary sanctuaries inside Zaire to facilitate humanitarian assistance and the repatriation of refugees. For this purpose, airfields and border crossing points would have to be secured and logistics bases in eastern Zaire protected.
The Nairobi summit has requested the Security Council to take urgent measures to deploy the required force to ensure these objectives. Under normal circumstances, the Secretary-General would obviously prefer that the Council should decide to deploy a United Nations peace-keeping force, under the control and command of the United Nations. However, in this situation, time is of the essence. Every passing day literally costs thousands of lives. Consequently, in his letter of 7 November, the Secretary-General has conveyed to the Security Council his considered judgement that the best option available at this stage is for a group of Member States to decide to establish a multinational force under the authority of the Security Council.
The Secretary-General has noted that the Security Council already has under active consideration a proposal whereby it would authorize Member States to make necessary arrangements to ensure the safe delivery of humanitarian assistance to the needy population. The momentum seems to exist for a concerted action by the international community. The Secretary-General strongly appeals to Member States which are in a position to do so to contribute to it in whatever way possible. Needless to say that any action
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mandated by the Security Council would be implemented in close consultation with the Organization of African Unity and the countries of the region. Indeed, such consultation is ongoing.
The world has been watching on television screens the unimaginable sufferings to which the populations in eastern Zaire have been and continue to be subjected. The fact that a fairly large-scale movement of people from Zaire has taken place towards the United Republic of Tanzania, Uganda and Burundi emphasizes the regional dimension of the crisis. The Secretary- General is confident that the international community will not fail to discharge its moral obligation to rescue these most unfortunate populations, and to take immediate action to put an end to the hostilities in the region.
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