Roberto Garreton, speaking at a news conference
in Geneva today, expressed regret that his latest report to the Commission
(code ?) had not been issued even though he had submitted it in December.
This delay impeded journalists and delegations from obtaining important
information.
The Special Rapporteur said the report
encompassed four areas: armed conflict, political developments, the situation
of human rights, and violations of humanitarian law by the Kinshasa Government
or by rebel forces. The important thing was that he had been able to visit
the country twice, something he had been unable to do in recent years after
being labelled a 'liar' by the Government. During the first war in the
Congo, he had denounced massacres, which the Government denied.
Today, both the Government and the rebels admitted that massacres had taken place, but they blamed each other for them.
A crucial fact concerning the Government was the lack of democracy in the country and of a credible commitment to establish democracy.
Under the pretext of supporting a return to democracy as outlined by the Lusaka Peace Agreements, President Kabila had staged a national debate and installed a legislative assembly, both controlled by him. In the east of the country, under the rebel RDC, there was no space for freedom, either. The population was humiliated and assaulted by the military, variously known as the Rwandans, the Tutsis and the Banyamulenge.
Asked how the situation of human rights in the Congo could improve, Mr. Garreton said there was a need to respect the Lusaka Peace Agreement. On 24 February, a new timetable had been agreed for the Lusaka Agreement, calling for a cease-fire on 1 March. On 2 March, however, the cease fire had been violated. Concerning the death penalty, though Mr. Kabila proclaimed that he rejected it, he affirmed that he was still obliged to use it for security reasons.
Mr. Garreton said he recommended to both parties to establish a real democracy, and he called for an international conference on peace and security in the Great Lakes region.
Asked what the United Nations could do to have his recommendations implemented, he responded that he was only a rapporteur, having no power except that of writing reports. The responsibility to implement the recommendations of his reports lay with the Congolese Government.
Responding to a question on whether he would resume investigations into the massacres alleged to have taken place in the east of the country in 1997, and whether traces still existed, Mr. Garreton said he would not abandon his investigations. In Chile, this March, the remains of people who had been 'disappeared' and killed over 20 years ago were being examined to determine the reasons of death. As time passed, it did become more difficult to uncover the traces, however it was still possible to do so. It would be a bad decision not to implement the Commission's resolution establishing an inquiry commission into the Congo massacres.