Oxfam reaction to Ban Ki-moon's visit to Goma

Published: 23rd May 2013

 As UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and other high level officials visit Goma today, Joanna Trevor of Oxfam in DRC, said:

"Thousands of people are again homeless after a new explosion in violence forced them to flee the camps where they had sought protection and refuge. People don't know where to go to find safety. For all the talk and signed pieces of paper over the past few months, civilians on the ground in eastern DRC are still at daily risk of attack.

Ban Ki-moon's visit is a welcome injection of high-level diplomacy much-needed at this time. While the Intervention Brigade might be able to provide some security, it alone will not solve the real causes of violence in DRC. We also need to invest in strong accountable Congolese security forces, a local and central Government that serves its people, and a justice system that holds human rights abusers to account."

Contact information

For more information contact Anna Ridout:  +44 (0)1865 473415+44 // (0)7766 443506 aridout@oxfam.org.uk

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