Foreign News
DR Congo: UN Calls on Militants to ‘Immediately Cease’ Civilian Attacks
The UN on Saturday called for immediate cessation of attacks on civilians by multiple armed groups in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said the UN was “concerned over the deteriorating security situation…and the increase of attacks against civilians.
Dujarric said UN was worried over increased attacks by the Cooperative for Development of the Congo (CODECO) and the M23 as well as the on-going presence of other foreign armed groups.
He said the organisation was also concerned by the presence of foreign armed groups, including the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), Red Tabara and the Forces Démocratique pour la libération de Rwanda (FDLR), which continued to pose a threat to regional stability.
The FDLR is a largely Rwandan Hutu armed group operating inside DRC, some of whose members took part in the 1994 genocide, and Rwanda had reportedly alleged that the Congolese army was collaborating with it, in the border area.
He urged armed militants to end violence and to begin participating “unconditionally” in the Disarmament, Demobilisation, Community Recovery and Stabilisation Programme (P-DDRCS) and called on “foreign armed groups to immediately disarm and return to their countries of origin”.
“We reaffirm our strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of the DRC and strongly condemn the use of proxies,” Dujarric said in a statement.
The increase in attacks across the volatile region was the focus of a Security Council meeting at the end of May.
The brutal M23 rebel group – which began as a renegade force of army mutineers in 2012 committing many atrocities and war crimes – have launched their biggest offensive against government forces in a decade, according to news reports.
Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs and Peace Operations, Martha Pobee, said it was “imperative” for the Council to throw its full weight behind efforts to defuse the uptick in violence, in particular by the M23 group, which had seen thousands displaced, many fleeing across the border to Uganda.
“We welcome and support ongoing national and regional political efforts to accompany the disarmament of armed groups, including by President Félix Tshisekedi of the DRC and President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya through the Nairobi process,” Dujarric said.
He stressed that the UN peacekeeping Mission in DRC, MONUSCO was also working closely with the Office of the Special Envoy for the Great Lakes region, to promote non-military measures for the disarmament of foreign armed groups.
The Spokesperson also welcomed the nomination of President João Lourenço of Angola by the African Union (AU), “to defuse tensions” between the DRC and Rwanda.
According to him, the UN fully supports these political efforts.
He noted that in the restive provinces of North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri, MONUSCO was “impartially and robustly protecting civilians and helping to neutralise armed groups, as mandated by the Security Council.”
In delivering on its protection of civilians mandate, MONUSCO is continuing to maintain its support to the Congolese Armed Forces, while ensuring that it was in strict compliance with the UN Human Rights Due Diligence Policy.
“This is to ensure that the Mission’s support to non-United Nations security forces is consistent with the organisation’s purposes and principles as set out in the Charter of the United Nations and obligations under international law,” Dujarric said.
“We are deeply concerned about reports of increased hate speech in the country against some particular communities, including in the context of the M23’s resurgence. Hate speech must be confronted proactively.”
He noted MONUSCO and the UN Country Team in DRC had consistently and unconditionally condemned hate speech in the public square.
Israel has sent two planes to evacuate fans from Amsterdam after violent clashes between Israeli supporter and pro-Palestinian demonstrators on the fringes of Ajax versus Maccabi Tel Aviv Europa Cup match.
“The Prime Minister has directed that two rescue planes be sent immediately to assist our citizens,.
“The harsh pictures of the assault on our citizens in Amsterdam will not be overlooked’’ Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office posted on X on Friday morning.
The Israeli leader’s office called the incident horrifying and demanded that the Dutch government and security forces take vigorous and swift action against the rioters, and ensure the safety of our citizens.
This clash was however unclear and yet to be unfolded.
The exact events remain unclear. The violent disturbances occurred around the Europa League football match between Dutch club Ajax Amsterdam and Maccabi Tel Aviv on Thursday evening. Ajax won 5-0.
There were clashes in several locations in the centre of the Dutch capital; though it was not specified which side started the violence.
Around 60 people were detained temporarily on Thursday evening, the police said.
Amsterdam TV station AT5 reported that demonstrators threw chairs at Maccabi fans.
The police’s mobile units reportedly shielded the Israelis and escorted them to their hotels.
There were also clashes in the afternoon between Israeli football fans and security forces in the city centre.
According to police, about a dozen people were arrested for disturbing public order and illegal possession of fireworks.
Even before the match, there were isolated altercations near the stadium in the south-east of the city, the police said.
More than 200 demonstrators attempted to reach the venue, according to the police.
Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof condemned these “unacceptable antisemitic attacks on Israelis’’ on X and said he had since spoken with Netanyahu.
Far-right Dutch leader Geert Wilders called it a pogrom.
“We have become the Gaza of Europe,’’ he said, adding that Muslims with Palestinian flags were hunting down Jews.
Israel’s UN ambassador also referred to the incident on X as a pogrom.
Steffen Seibert, Germany’s ambassador to Israel condemned the incident.
“Chasing and beating up Israeli soccer fans is not anti-war protest.
“It is criminal and intolerable and we must all stand against it. As a European I am ashamed to see such scenes in one of our great cities,’’ he wrote on X.
However the Reaction from the United States (U.S.).
In New York, Jonathan Greenblatt, the head of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), described itself as the world’s largest anti-hate organisation.
He demanded that the Dutch government ensure the safety of Israeli fans, apprehend and prosecute the perpetrators and apologise for the violence.
“This is exactly what ‘globalise the intifada’ looks like,’’ Greenblatt wrote on X, saying there were mobs of hate-filled people who had attacked Israelis who came to Amsterdam to enjoy a football game.
Even New York Attorney General Letitia James chimed in on X, calling the attacks against Jews in Amsterdam “deeply disturbing and horrifying.’’
New York State, particularly metropolitan New York City, has a large Jewish population.
“We must do everything in our power to protect Jews in America and across the world.
“This anti-Semitism and violence must end now,’’ she wrote. (dpa/NAN)
Three Israelis are missing following clashes between Israeli football fans and pro-Palestinian demonstrators on the fringes of football club Maccabi Tel Aviv’s match in Amsterdam, according to Israeli authorities.
Ten people were injured in the violence, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said on Friday morning.
The degree of their injuries was initially unclear.
The ministry urged its citizens to use public transport to travel to the airport, after Israel had announced it was sending two planes to evacuate the fans.
Local security forces had been deployed, the ministry said.
The ministry had initially advised fans not to leave their hotels.
It also advised its citizens not to wear Jewish or Israeli symbols in public.
(dpa/NAN)
German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius is to travel to France for talks with his French counterpart Sébastien Lecornu on Wednesday evening, following Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election.
The talks are expected to focus on the consequences of Trump’s victory.
In particular for the future support for Ukraine, which has been fighting for more than two and a half years against Russia, as well as for European defence policy?
Washington has been a central provider of military support to Ukraine, which Trump has long criticized.
During his election campaign, Trump promised to end the war in Ukraine in a very short time and has held Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky jointly responsible for the war.
(dpa/NAN)
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