CONGO U.N. / ALAN DOSS TRIP
REPORTER: JASON MALONEY
PRODUCER: KIRA KAY
PRODUCED BY THE BUREAU FOR INTERNATIONAL REPORTING
[1:02:10 – start after 2 mins of bars, 10 sec of black]
IN THE EASTERN PART OF THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO, UNITED NATIONS PEACEKEEPERS ARE FACING FRESH CHALLENGES TO THEIR 10-YEAR MISSION HERE: HOW TO SECURE MILLIONS OF PEOPLE AS FIGHTING HAS FLARED UP AGAIN IN RECENT MONTHS.
OVER FIVE MILLION HAVE ALREADY DIED AS A RESULT OF THIS BRUTAL CONFLICT THAT IS FUELED BY ETHNIC RIVALRIES AND A STRUGGLE OVER NATURAL RESOURCES. MILLIONS MORE HAVE BEEN DISPLACED – AS MANY AS 35,000 IN THE LAST MONTH ALONE.
THE UN HAS, IN FACT, COME UNDER INTENSE CRITICISM FOR FAILING TO ADEQUATELY RESPOND TO THIS LATEST WAVE OF VIOLENCE AGAINST CIVILIANS, SOMETHING THAT IS AT THE CORE OF ITS MANDATE HERE.
ALAN DOSS: Well, our first challenge is protection, protection of civilian populations. And that’s a huge challenge because of the size and complexity of the country. And this area alone, the Kivus where we’re focusing on right now, is the size of California.
[1:03:04]
ALAN DOSS IS THE UN MISSION CHIEF IN CONGO. UNDER PRESSURE TO ADDRESS THE DETERIORATING SECURITY SITUATION THIS SPRING, HE TRAVELED TO THE FRONT LINES FOR A FIRST-HAND ASSESSMENT.
HIGH IN THE AIR, IT BECOMES IMMEDIATELY CLEAR WHAT THE UN IS UP AGAINST HERE. IT’S A SEEMINGLY ENDLESS STRETCH OF HILL AND JUNGLE. AN AREA THE SIZE OF THE US EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI, THE CONGO ONLY HAS ABOUT AS MANY MILES OF PAVED ROAD AS PEORIA, IL.
DOSS: If you’re in Europe you go skiing at this altitude. I don’t think we’ll be skiing out here though.
[1:03:37]
FIRST STOP ON DOSS’S TOUR: THE MOUNTAIN TOWN OF KANYABAYONGA. THE BASE HERE IS HEAVILY FORTIFIED: HIGH ON A HILLTOP WITH STRATEGIC VIEWS OVER TOWN AND DUG-IN WITH TRENCHES AND BUNKERS. SOON WE’RE USHERED INTO A TENT FOR A MILITARY BRIEFING AND IT IS CLEAR WHY ALL THESE DEFENSES ARE NECESSARY: THIS IS A HOT ZONE OF FIGHTING BETWEEN CONGO’S ARMY KNOWN AS THE FARDC AND A MAIN REBEL GROUP, THE FDLR.
Indian general: On this route, the FDLR stopped a particular truck, which had about 25 occupants. The told the occupants to move out and thereafter they burned that truck to ashes. On a later date, sir, we came to know, basically, a firefight between FARDC (army) and FDLR (rebels), which resulted in eight FARDC (army) personal killed including one officer and thirteen injured.
[1:04:22]
KANYABAYONGA IS JUST ONE OF SUCH BASES SITUATED IN THE PROVINCE OF NORTH KIVU. THE AREA IS HOME TO A DIZZYING ARRAY OF FIGHTING FORCES, EACH BATTLING FOR THEIR OWN PATCH OF THIS MINERAL RICH REGION. CONGO’S OWN ARMY, WHICH THE UN IS TASKED WITH WORKING ALONGSIDE, IS SOMETIMES JUST AS PREDATORY ON THE LOCAL PEOPLE AS THE REBELS. THIS IS THE CHAOTIC NEW REALITY OF PEACEKEEPING IN THE 21ST CENTURY.
Doss: We are far from the classic model of peacekeeping you know the think blue line separating two states. That’s not the case here. In North Kivu, we’re dealing with 20-30 armed groups, a national armed force that at times has disintegrated and is having to be rebuilt. Foreign armed groups from Rwanda, Uganda. You know this is an incredible mix.
[1:05:08]
THE UN’S MAIN CONCERN RIGHT NOW IS THE FDLR, A MILITIA LED BY MEN RESPONSIBLE FOR THE RWANDAN GENOCIDE IN 1994, WHO THEN ESCAPED INTO THE CONGOLESE BUSH. THE UN HAS BEEN TRYING TO HELP THE CONGOLESE ARMY FIGHT THE FDLR, BUT THIS IS NEVER AN EASY TASK WHEN THE ENEMY CAN JUST MELT AWAY INTO DENSE JUNGLE AND YOUR FIGHTING PARTNER LACKS DISCIPLINE. DOSS SAYS HE’S HOPING THAT IF THEY CAN JUST WIN THIS BATTLE, THE END MAY BE IN SIGHT.
Doss: What we see now is the opportunity to turn the last page on a history of violence and conflict that has ravaged this country and particularly the Eastern part of this country for the last 15 years. I think we should consider that as a tremendous opportunity but certainly not one that can be wasted. We have no time to lose.
[1:06:00]
AND SO, WITH ALL THE URGENCY OF A POLITICAL CANDIDATE IN THE WANING DAYS OF A TOUGH CAMPAIGN, DOSS LEAVES KANYABAYONGA AND HIS TRIP SWITCHES INTO HIGH GEAR.
THERE’S A STOP AT A BIG UN BASE WHERE DOSS RALLIES THE TROOPS IN AN ATTEMPT TO BOOST A MORALE BATTERED BY DIFFICULT CONDITIONS AND OVERWHELMING DUTIES.
Sot: Welcome
[1:06:20]
THERE’S A STOP AT A PYGMY VILLAGE WHERE THE UN MISSION HAS BUILT HOUSING FOR ONE OF CONGO’S MOST DISADVANTAGED AND DISCRIMINATED-AGAINST ETHNICITIES.
AND THERE ARE TOWN HALL MEETINGS WITH LOCAL LEADERS WHERE DOSS LISTENS TO THEIR CONCERNS.
Sound up French ADD ENGLISH FONT:
Man: There has been the problem of rape, there’s the burning of houses, there have been killings, and many flagrant violations of human rights.
[1:06:54]
WINING THE GOOD FAITH OF THE LOCAL POPULATION IS KEY TO THE UN’S SUCCESS HERE, BUT IT HAS NOT ALWAYS GONE VERY WELL. A SERIES OF RECENT MASSACRES CARRIED OUT BY REBELS HAVE THE POPULATION FRIGHTENED, AND A HIGHLY PUBLICIZED ATTACK LAST FALL IN THE NEARBY TOWN OF KIWANJA, WHERE MORE THAN 100 PEOPLE WERE KILLED LESS THAN A MILE FROM A UN BASE, CAUSED FEARS TO BOIL OVER INTO ANGER AT WHAT LOCALS CALL THE UN’S FAILURE TO PROTECT THEM. THOUGH DOSS ADMITS MISTAKES WERE MADE IN KIWANJA, HE INSISTS OTHER LIVES WERE SAVED.
Doss: We were protecting 5-6000 people around the base we have in Kiwanja. We had at that point there 120 peacekeepers. They were protecting between 5-6000 people who’d come around the base for protection. So they were busy dealing with that situation. Could they have done more? We obviously will look at that and have looked at that. We have to look ahead, recognize that there are going to be difficult moments, difficult times, explain what we’re doing and perhaps there we can and should do a better job.
[1:08:01]
DOSS, A VETERAN OF UN MISSIONS IN SIERRA LEONE, IVORY COAST AND LIBERIA, KNOWS THE UN’S FORCE IN CONGO WONT BE HERE FOREVER. IT’S THE THOUGHT VERY MUCH ON EVERYONE’S MIND AS WE WIND UP OUR WHISTLE STOP TOUR, ARRIVING AT THE SITE OF A NEW POLICE BUILDING IN THE CITY OF BENI. WHEN COMPLETE, THIS WILL SERVE AS A NEW TRAINING CENTER FOR A POLICE FORCE THAT WILL BE KEY IN MAINTAINING ORDER FOR THE DAY WHEN THE UN MISSION – KNOWN AS MONUC – FINALLY DRAWS DOWN.
DOSS HAS BEEN INVITED TO PRESIDE OVER A LOCAL GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY...
Sound up (“to the ancestors” in French, but probably not worth fonting)
…THAT, ACCORDING TO LOCAL TRADITION, INVOLVES POURING A TOAST OVER THE FOUNDATION.
Police official: That’s the end.
Doss: No, it’s not the end, it’s the beginning.
Doss:
I think that personally we are thinking about life after MONUC and we must. We must be working with the government to build its own national security forces. And that’s a big job that’s a huge job in a country like this. There are people in the armed forces, we know, who have committed violations, human rights violations. That has to be dealt with. But it is going to take time. You won’t rebuild and create a competent loyal and effective military in a few weeks or months.
[1:19:19]
BUT A LIFE HERE AFTER THE U.N. SEEMS A LONG WAY OFF… AS THE REBEL FDLR RAMPAGE CONTINUES IN NORTH KIVU, WITH HUNDREDS KILLED, LEAVING A LOCAL POPULATION FRIGHTENED AND UNCERTAIN OF THEIR FUTURE.
*****