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U.N. pulls human rights team from former Zaire
October 1, 1997
Web posted at: 3:27 p.m. EDT (1927 GMT)UNITED NATIONS (CNN) -- The United Nations is withdrawing a human rights team from the Democratic Republic of Congo until President Laurent Kabila lets it probe alleged massacres, a U.N. spokesman said Wednesday.
Fred Eckhard said the order, effective immediately, was given by U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, because investigators have been blocked from doing their work.
"The team in Kinshasa has been unable to carry out its mandate. It's time to pull them back for consultations," Eckhard said. "They'll get out at the earliest possible opportunity."
He said the team would return to Kinshasa only if the government's position is clarified on whether the team will be allowed to do its work.
The order was issued one day after the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary Robinson, received reports that Kabila might order the team to leave.
The U.N. team was sent to Kinshasa weeks ago to look into allegations that Kabila's forces massacred thousands of Rwandan Hutu refugees in the eastern part of the country, formerly Zaire, before seizing power in May.
Robinson's statement was based on a report from a regional African news service, which Kabila denied.
On Wednesday, Congolese Foreign Minister Bizima Karaha told the U.N. General Assembly that his government would do "anything in our power" to help the team do its work.
But he said the government would resist any effort to politicize the investigation. Kabila's African allies claim the probe is an attempt by Western nations to destabilize the new government, which ousted the late dictator Mobutu Sese Seko.
The United States and European nations have threatened to withhold economic aid, if Kabila does not cooperate with the U.N. team.
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- U.N.: Republic of Congo not ready for peace force - August 13, 1997
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- Congo - index created by The Norwegian Council for Africa
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