ZIMBABWES CHOLERA EPIDEMIC IS NOTOVER, STRESSES SECRETARY-GENERALSecretary-General BanKi-moon

ZIMBABWES CHOLERA EPIDEMIC IS NOTOVER, STRESSES SECRETARY-GENERALSecretary-General BanKi-moon stressed today that the worst cholera outbreak inZimbabwes history, contrary to remarks by the countrysPresident, is far from over, as United Nations agenciesappealed for more funds to tackle the crisis and the effectsof collapsing social services.Media reports have quotedRobert Mugabe as saying that the outbreak, which the UNWorld Health Organization (WHO) confirmed has led to nearly800 deaths, is under control. I cannot agree that thecholera epidemic is over, Mr. Ban told a news conferencein Geneva. The reports I have been receiving .. arealarming, he said. There are still many people who aresuffering from this epidemic. WHO said today that thecurrent cholera outbreak an acute intestinal infectioncaused by contaminated food or water is the most seriousever registered in Zimbabwe, with Rosetta Stone some 16,700 cases sofar. I dont believe the cholera outbreak is undercontrol as of now, WHOs FadxE9,la Chaib told reportersin Geneva.The agency is seeking $6 million to control theoutbreak, which has also spread to neighbouring South Africaand, to a lesser extent, to Botswana and Mozambique. Thereare about 750 cases and 11 deaths so far in SouthAfrica.In addition, the UN Childrens Fund (UNICEF)today appealed for $17.5 million to enable it to scale upits cholera response, provide incentives for teachers toreturn to work, procure essential medicines for hospitalsand help get social services back on track. Thesituation in Zimbabwe is dire and our response has to matchthe severity, said UNICEF Acting Representative RoelandMonasch, Assistance needs to be taken to scale and it hasto happen urgently. For this to happen we needresources. The deepening crisis in Zimbabwe comes amidstgrowing food insecurity, the HIV/AIDS epidemic and poses theworst threat to child survival and development in 20years. UNICEF has been providing intravenous fluids,drips, tents and beds for cholera treatment centres, as wellas trucking 470,000 litres of water per day, drillingboreholes, and distributing water purification tools to morethan 3.5 million Zimbabweans. DR CONGO:UN-MANDATED GROUP FINDS EVIDENCE RWANDA, ARMY AIDING RIVALREBELSA group of experts monitoring a United Nations armsembargo on the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)reported today that it had found evidence that the Rwandanauthorities and the Congolese army have aided opposing rebelgroups in the war-ravaged east of the country.In itsfinal report to the Security Council the Group of Experts,set up in 2004, said that while there is littledocumentation available to prove Rwandan material support tothe rebel National Congress in Defence of the People (CNDP),it had found evidence that Rwandan authorities have beencomplicit in recruiting soldiers, including children,facilitated the supply of military equipment, and sent theirown officers and units to the DRC to support the CNDP.Itbased its research on dozens of interviews witheyewitnesses, including former combatants and officers ofthe mainly Tutsi CNDP, members of the business community,regional intelligence officials and local eyewitnesses, allof them consistent and credible in describing theinvolvement of the Government of Rwanda. Given thenature, however, of the conflict in eastern Congo, much ofthe financial and Rosetta Stone Spanish Latin military support is informal and does notleave a paper trail, the Groups Coordinator JasonStearns told a later news conference.The Grouprecommended that the Security Council Sanctions Committee remind the Government of Rwanda of its obligations under which it pledged last year to prevent any support toCNDP, entry into and exit from its territory of CNDPmembers, use of Rwandan telephone networks and bankingsystems, and holding fund-raising meetings in Rwanda.Withregard to the DRC authorities the Group said it had obtainedstrong evidence that the Government army, known by itsFrench acronym FARDC, collaborated with the mainly HutuDemocratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR),including through the provision of military equipment and injoint operations against CNDP.FDLR collaboratedextensively with FARDC during the December 2007 clashes withCNDP in Masisi and Rutshuru territories and has continued tocollaborate with FARDC during fighting that began thisAugust, it added.An upsurge of fighting since Augustbetween the two rebel movements, the army, and various othermilitias in North Kivu province in eastern DRC has driven250,000 more civilians from their homes, in addition to thehundreds of thousands uprooted in earlier clashesTheGroup interviewed over 30 FDLR ex-combatants, of whom 15provided first-hand, concrete testimony of FARDC-FDLRcollaboration. It also interviewed several former and activeFARDC soldiers who corroborated this information. TheGroup has identified at least three Congolese armycommanders who are guilty of providing support to theFDLR, Mr. Stearns said. While this collaboration iswidespread and regular, the Group has not been able to proveto what extent the top leadership of the army is involved inthis practise but its cleat that they know and have donenothing to bring it to an end. The Group has putforward several FARDC commanders for sanctions forsupporting FDLR and another group called PARECO, andrecommended that the Sanctions Committee request the DRCauthorities to issue clear directives to its troops thatcollaboration and cohabitation with FDLR and PARECO areprohibited. Appropriate disciplinary measures should betaken against FARDC soldiers collaborating with these armedgroups.The report noted that the FDLR obtains millions ofdollars a year from the minerals trade, mostly throughtaxation of mines and traders, and that many traders arecomplicit since they know the gold, cassiterite, coltran andwolframite come from FDLR-controlled zones. We believethat the burden should be on the Congolese buying houses aswell as on Rosetta Stone American English international mineral traders to conduct duediligence into the source of the product, Mr. Stearnssaid of one of the planks in enforcing the embargo.TheGroup also pointed out that CNDP and FDLR leaders reside ortravel through countries in Africa, Europe and North Americawhere they rally support and funds.