Page 20 - DIVA_4_2006_No.27

People queue up to vote in the counby's first nndtiparty general election since 1960, Kinshasa,
DRC, 30 July 2006. @ Tiggy Ridley/IRIN
gi'oups. So we would welco- number of veiy good collea- ly hopeless area, a sort of
me continual progress to the gues ii'i varioris fields who are black liole on the map. We
poiiit wliere we can begin to putting in the extra efforts liave been ii'npressed by tlie
reduce the major United tliat are required to make extraordinary enthusiasm
Nations force in the hope and such a large and complex shown by the population
belief tliat stability will be operatton a posttive experien- diring the whole electoral
maii'itained. Having said that, ce for tlie countiy. process. As the election
approached, some of the poli-
I tliii'ik it would be unfo rtuna-
te if there was a prematiu'e Q: Don't you ever become tical leadership were not as
moving
depaitiire of the UN before discouraged' enthusiastic aborit
into a new era. We hope
tlie security forces in the
coru'ihy haye been developed I ai'n dealing witli tl'ie elec- donor will now take anotlier
to tl'ie degree necessaiy ena- tions and other things. I work look and recogiffze what is
bling tl'ie government to 011 the priiiciple of Mruphy's required on the luurianitaiian
maintain stability on its own. Law which states tliat: "If it and tlie reconstiauction side to
can go wrong, it will". } keep support DRC. The coiu'ihy
Q: On a more personal saying tl'iat Mr Mupliy is a lias a remarkable population
note, after fifteen months in member of my team and he with a capacity for resilience.
DRC, how do you manage never inisses a meeting. We Tliis is shown by liow tl'iey
the stress and all the hard constantly have to deal witli liave endired more than foity
work? tlie most rinlikely develop- years of mistreatment.
ments at the worst tin'ies. YOLI Donors will liopefiilly now
mimmm
Tlie work is obviorisly fasci- liave to develop son'iething of recognize the coruihy's
tlie
natii'ig. It is an enoimoris a sense of liru':iioiu' iii order to potential and provide
cliallenge and it is possible keep goii'ig. It is also useful in contimiing iiiten'iational sup-
botl'i to achieve aiid to see tl'ie tliese circun'istances to l'iaye port allowing the people to
results of the work. From my some experience of emergen- acl'iieve tliat potential.
perspective, tl'iis compares cres.
veiy favourably witli my pre-
vious assignment in Iraq, Q: Do you have any parti-
wliicli was ratlier more diffi- cular message to the Enter-
cult becarise of tlie security national community here in
situation. In tl'ie DRC we do Geneva?
liave security, logistical and
financial problems, but not For so long tlie DRC l'ias
on the same scale. We liave a been regarded as a complete-
18 5 2006 Diva

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