United Nations, Feb 22 The head of the UN mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) said that Rwanda-supported M23 rebels in the eastern North Kivu province are hampering peacekeeping operations.
"The continued occupation of parts of North Kivu by the M23, supported by the Rwandan defence forces, has severely constrained MONUSCO's ability to fully implement mission requirements," said Bintou Keita, chief of the UN mission in the DRC, known as MONUSCO, adding that the rebels prevent the mission from protecting civilians and carrying out life-saving operations.
Speaking to reporters at the UN headquarters during a video linkup from Kinshasa, the special representative in the DRC of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the M23 is advancing through South Kivu and further as part of its stated aim to reach the DRC capital, Xinhua news agency reported.
MONUSCO withdrew from South Kivu last year following its revised mandate from the Security Council and as requested by the Kinshasa government.
Keita said the operational challenges MONUSCO faces have been confounded by disinformation and hate campaigns that deliberately put the lives of UN peacekeepers at risk.
She said peacekeepers protect hundreds of thousands of internally displaced people in the eastern DRC.
Stéphane Dujarric, the secretary-general's chief spokesman, said humanitarian partners have raised concerns that ongoing clashes in South Kivu's Uvira hinder access to those in need and ambulances. He added that hospitals in the province report receiving civilian casualties from the conflict daily.
"In the Kalehe territory, fighting has forced more than 50,000 people to flee over the past week, many to Burundi," the spokesman said. "Since February, more than 40,000 Congolese nationals -- the majority of whom are women and children -- have arrived in Burundi seeking protection."
Dujarric also said the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) launched an appeal seeking $40.4 million to deliver protection and assistance to 275,000 internally displaced people in South Kivu, North Kivu, Maniema and Tanganyika provinces of the DRC.
The spokesman said the funding is also to support a potential influx of 258,000 refugees, asylum-seekers and returnees in neighbouring countries, including Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.
"UNHCR said there is an urgent need for shelter, food and latrines as well as relocation of the new arrivals to other sites to address overcrowding," he said. "UNHCR and its partners are stepping up assistance, distributing warm meals and water to new arrivals. They need all sorts of relief supplies."
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