Renewed military operations in DRC could impact demobilisation & return activities
May 2013
We, Congolese civil society organization in LRA affected areas, have recently been informed that MONUSCO Ituri Brigade wants to launch in three weeks' time a military offensive operations against the LRA in Garamba National Park. There are currently DDR efforts to help defection of a large group of LRA. We fear this military intervention would jeopardize current and future initiatives to encourage defection and return of LRA abductees, which can in turn help end the violence.
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- In the past three weeks, in Haut Uélé district, in DRC, between Nagero and Faradje, 3 groups of LRA contacted communities looking for a way to escape. The reports suggest that each of these groups is comprised of dozens of men, women and children abducted by the LRA.
- On hearing of the LRA abductees’ intentions, community leaders, civil society and local authorities, alongside UNDDR, JIOC and international organizations, dedicated their efforts to facilitate their return, sending home messages, sensitizing communities and providing secured escape corridors.
- There is a real risk that impending military operations could jeopardize these efforts, trigger retaliatory attacks against communities, discourage future defections and threaten future DDR initiatives and their credibility.
- We – local, national and international actors working in LRA affected territories – ask all military forces deployed in LRA affected areas to: (i) temporarily put on hold any offensive operation against the LRA in order to prevent more violence and facilitate the safe return of LRA escapees; (ii) hold a meeting with UNDDR, JIOC, civil society representatives to discuss the situation; (iii) set a mid-long term strategy to work together on protecting the population and encouraging return; (iv) Enhance the involvement of the Congolese authorities at all levels in support of the safe defection, return, and reintegration of LRA escapees; (v) UN should facilitate a peaceful defection by allowing the demand of the LRA and creating a safe corridor since this request has been from the LRA that they want to defect.
- The AU-led Regional Cooperative Initiative for the elimination of the LRA (RCI-LRA) has contributed to increased coordination between national and international actors involved in LRA affected countries. While a lot still needs to be done, the joint initiative has contributed to weaken the LRA, increase defection and provide much needed services to affected population. The current situation may well be a test case for the newly created RCI-LRA. The military operations can only succeed if they contribute to secure the population, facilitate escape and reestablish peace.
Dungu, 17 May 2013
