Ambassador Hoang Chi Trung, Deputy Representative of Vietnam to the UN Security Council, made the appeal while attending the council’s session on the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and MONUC in New York on Dec. 16.

The session came after the Human Rights Watch (HRW) has just issued a report on the military operation Kimia II in the DRC, which caused more consequences for civilians than rebels, as over 1,400 people were killed since the campaign was launched in early this year.

“We urge MONUC to prioritise the protection of civilians, especially women and children affected by sexual violence. Ahead of the 2010 elections in the DRC, we believe that MONUC should extend electoral assistance to the DRC Government in coordination with other UN agencies,” Trung said.

The ambassador applauded certain progress made in the implementation of the March 23 Agreement and the DRC Government’s commitment to organising a final meeting of the National Follow-up Committee to the agreement and executing the Stabilisation and Reconstruction Plan.

He also spoke highly of the contributions made by the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for the Great Lakes region, Olusegun Obasanjo, in facilitating the rapprochement between the DRC and Rwanda.

The Vietnamese representative also called on the two neighbours to make joint efforts in addressing unrest caused by insurgent forces in the eastern area of the DRC./.