DRC president, UN meet over attacks on peacekeepers

By Godfrey Olukya

ARU, Democratic Republic of Congo

The UN Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations on Sunday stressed on the collective task of fighting rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Jean-Pierre Lacroix met President Joseph Kabila in the capital Kinshasa where they discussed a recent attack by ADF rebels on UN forces which killed 14 peacekeepers.

Lacroix said after the meeting, according to the UN radio in DRC: ''Fighting rebels is a collective challenge that should be dealt with collectively."

He added that those responsible for war crimes against peacekeepers must be brought to justice.

"It can be long and difficult, but that goal is important," he said.

Meanwhile, The World Food Program (WFP) said Sunday that it lacks the means to provide humanitarian assistance to more than three million people who face food insecurity in DRC.

WFP representative in the DRC Claude Jibidar, said in a statement: "The funds we have today are not enough to support this level of response for a long time."