MONUC begins deploying outside Bunia into Ituri

UN forces have begun to deploy outside of Bunia, the main town of Ituri Province in northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Maj-Gen Mountaga Diallo said at a news conference on Wednesday in the capital, Kinshasa. "We have already deployed [last week] to Bule, and we are now in the process of deploying in Bogoro, Iga Barriere and Marabo, and later in Kpandroma, Aru, Mahagi and other locations," Diallo, force commander of the UN Mission in the DRC, known as MONUC, said. "Each base will be manned by between 150 and 200 soldiers." MONUC Information Officer Madnodje Mounoubai said a team of army engineers would precede each troop deployment. This is the first permanent deployment of MONUC forces beyond the town of Bunia, thereby "enabling them to better monitor the movements of armed groups" in the region, the head of MONUC, William Swing, announced last week. Prior to this deployment, UN forces were based solely in Bunia, as had been the case for the EU-led interim multinational force, known as "Artemis", which was deployed from June until early September in support of MONUC's efforts. Previously, MONUC had limited its activities primarily to ensuring stability in Bunia, with occasional reconnaissance missions outside of the town by road and helicopter. However, with an increased troop level and a peace enforcement mandate under UN Security Council Resolution 1493 of 28 July 2003, MONUC has said its "Ituri Brigade" was now better-prepared to extend its operations throughout the strife-torn district. "We are also continuing with the "Bunia Without Arms" operation, which we plan on extending outside the town," Diallo said, referring to MONUC's ongoing efforts to rid Bunia of illegal firearms. On Friday, MONUC said that the five main militias operating in Ituri had agreed to provide within 10 days technical information regarding their numbers and locations, with a view to their cantonment. MONUC said the cantonment would take place in tandem with the deployment of its Ituri Brigade to locations across the region. At least 50,000 people have died and 500,000 have been displaced in Ituri since the most recent war in the country erupted in August 1998, due in large part to economically-motivated ethnic-based violence. Meanwhile, MONUC said that investigations were still ongoing into finding those responsible for recent massacres of civilians in Kashele, 15 km southeast of Bule, about 60 km northeast of Bunia, and in Ndunda, 30 km north of the town of Uvira, South Kivu Province, eastern DRC.