PRESS CONFERENCE ON GREAT LAKES REGION

12 February 1997

Press Briefing

PRESS CONFERENCE ON GREAT LAKES REGION

19970212 FOR INFORMATION OF UNITED NATIONS SECRETARIAT ONLY

Representatives of three non-governmental organizations active in the Great Lakes region of Africa briefed correspondents this afternoon on the situation in the region and their requests of the Security Council. The press conference, sponsored by the Mission of Chile, was held immediately following a meeting between those officials and the Security Council, in which they brought their concerns to that body.

Taking part in the press conference were the Executive Director of OXFAM, David Bryers; President of Médecins sans frontières (Doctors without Borders), Jacques de Milliano, and its Country Coordinator for Zaire, Pierre Salignon; and Senior Vice-President of Programmes for CARE, Marc Lindenberg.

Mr. Bryers began by reporting on their meeting with the Council, which was described as the first time ever that non-governmental organizations had been invited to brief that body on the situation in the Great Lakes region. He said he had been very pleased with that meeting, and with their meeting with the bureaus of the Economic and Social Council and of the Second (Economic and Financial) and Third (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) Committees of the General Assembly.

During the meetings, the non-governmental organizations had raised concerns about protecting civilians in the region from violence and, in particular, of protecting the refugees, Mr. Bryers said. There had been difficult problems of access for humanitarian workers in Rwanda and Burundi, and particularly in eastern Zaire. The officials had discussed with Council members means by which access could be improved.

The officials had also expressed their concerns about the growing volatility in the region, Mr. Bryers added. It was also a matter of concern that humanitarian activities were often not matched by political activity aimed at reaching a long-term solution -- a point which enjoyed wide agreement among Member States, who stressed the need for correcting that imbalance.

What was needed now, at a time when the situation was deteriorating, were sustained efforts by the international community, Mr. Bryers said. The commitment needed in the Great Lakes region was comparable to that which was required to address the situation in the former Yugoslavia. While the appointment of Mohamed Sahnoun of Algeria as United Nations/Organization of African Unity Special Representative for the Great Lakes Region was welcome, it was important that his efforts receive the proper degree of support.

Mr. Salignon, of Médecins sans frontières, drew attention to the plight of more than 120,000 refugees, who were facing major food problems. The front line was also drawing increasingly near to their camp. From 16 December 1996 through 7 February 1997, more than 1,100 of them had died, 55 per cent of whom were children under the age of five years. More than 20 people died daily in the camp. That situation, which continued to deteriorate, was not acceptable.

The Security Council was being asked to protect the vulnerable refugee population, particularly women and children, Mr. Salignon added. One measure which could be taken to that end would be to move them to a safer place.

Did the protection being requested of the Security Council involve a revival of a United Nations force in the region? a correspondent asked. What sort of political back-up did the non-governmental organizations envisage? Mr. Bryers said the situations in Rwanda, Burundi and Zaire were different. There was a need for political pressure to bring the parties to negotiate measures of protection, such as the establishment of safe corridors in order to meet immediate needs. Without such zones, it would not be feasible for humanitarian efforts to move forward.

Asked if they supported a reactivation of the United Nations force, Mr. Bryers said that, for that to be useful in Kivu, a whole series of conditions would have to be met first. While it was his view that such a move would not be timely at present, it should not be ruled out. Mr. Lindenberg, of CARE, added that humanitarian efforts were not a substitute for a political and economic solution. The non-governmental organizations had pushed for the appointment of Ambassador Sahnoun, with a view to promoting long-term solutions. They had also discussed the possibility of safe corridors.

Mr. de Milliano, of Médecins sans frontières, said they had informed the Council that the situation in the region was getting out of hand. He reviewed the history of the situation, adding that at present the refugees -- an entire camp -- were being used as human shields. The Council needed to reorganize its agenda to get a grip on the situation. Right now, "the tail is wagging the dog". Specifically, the Council was being asked that humanitarian access be restored where it was blocked, and that the protection of humanitarian aid workers must be ensured. The situation must be seen as an extreme emergency, he added.

Asked what was being done to protect the population of the camp in question, Mr. de Milliano said no United Nations agency had taken the lead to protect them. Negotiations with the parties were an option, but right now nothing was being done. Some effort was needed. The population must be moved away from the front lines. Mr. Bryers added that any military activity which might be needed in the future must be planned for now. There should not be a three-month delay when the immediate need for such action arose.

Chile Press Conference - 3 - 12 February 1997

What words had the officials brought to the Council from the refugees themselves? a correspondent asked. Mr. Salignon said the refugees wanted to see the Council promote the repatriation effort, if possible. They needed food to live, so they would not see children dying every day.

Responding to another question, Mr. Lindenberg said the non-governmental organizations had raised the need for a regional solution. The situations in such areas as El Salvador and Mozambique might provide an example of a way to get things on the right track. His sense was that the Council had been highly receptive to such ideas, with a view to promoting a long-term solution. Mr. Bryers added that there must be a coherence of views on the Council, as well as consistent political attention to the matter -- not just when it was on the television screen.

A correspondent, describing the Council's briefing non-governmental organizations as an undue occurrence, asked if they envisaged further such meetings. Mr. Bryers said they would welcome such a development. It represented an informal approach, which allowed non-governmental organization representatives to talk with the Council. Every ambassador who spoke in today's meeting had welcomed the initiative -- though he noted that not all ambassadors had spoken. Humanitarian bodies could not carry out political initiatives, he said.

In response to a question as to whether the officials would be meeting with United States Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, it was announced that they would be off to Washington, D.C., tomorrow.

In closing, Mr. Lindenberg said they had found support for the initiative of non-governmental organization briefings in the Council. Members had said they welcomed the information that non-governmental organizations could provide, as being of a different type than what they were used to receiving.

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