Report on MONUSCO in DRC

REPORT ON MONUSCO IN DRC

MONUSCO is a United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Established in 2010 to protect civilians, support the government in stabilizing the country, and promote human rights.

Bintou Keita currently heading it’s mission serves as the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the Mission.

It is one of the largest UN peacekeeping missions in the world, with over 16,000 military personnel, police officers, and civilian personnel.
MONUSCO has helped to reduce violence and stabilize the country, which has led to increased security for the Congolese people. Additionally, the mission has helped to provide humanitarian aid and promote human rights.

Working with a wide range of local organizations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, including civil society groups, human rights organizations, and community-based organizations.
Some of the organizations that MONUSCO has partnered with in the past include:

• The Congolese Women’s Forum for Peace and Development.
  A network of women’s organizations that works to promote women’s rights and participation in peacebuilding and development activities in the DRC
• The National Network of Human Rights Defenders in the DRC.
  A coalition of organizations that work to protect human rights activists and promote respect for human rights in the country.
• The Association of Women Lawyers of the DRC.
  A professional association that advocates for the rights of women and girls and provides legal assistance to those who have experienced gender-based violence or discrimination.

These partnerships have helped to strengthen local capacity to promote peace, human rights, and social development in the country.

With a current five-year strategic plan, that covers the period from 2020 to 2024, focuses on three main priorities:

• Protecting civilians.
• Supporting the implementation of the political agreement.
• Promoting human rights.

The plan aims to achieve these goals through a range of activities, including the deployment of peacekeeping troops, the provision of humanitarian aid, and efforts to promote reconciliation and dialogue among different groups in the country.

The journey has faced some struggles addressing the root causes of the conflict in the DRC which include: political instability, ethnic tensions, and resource competition. Additionally, the mission has faced challenges in protecting civilians from violence, particularly in areas where armed groups are active. Finally, the mission has faced criticism for its perceived lack of effectiveness and for incidents of misconduct by peacekeeping troops.

The mission was originally established as MONUC (United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, or Mission des Nations Unies en République Démocratique du Congo) in 1999, during the Second Congo War. This followed the signing of the Lusaka Ceasefire Agreement between the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) and five other states in the region and the passing of Resolution 1279. The initial purpose of the mission was to observe the ceasefire, plan the disengagement of forces, and liaise with all parties to the ceasefire agreement. Later, this was expanded to include supervising the implementation of the ceasefire agreement and trying to resolve ongoing conflicts in several provinces of DR Congo.

In 2010, MONUC was renamed MONUSCO by the Security Council after it passed Resolution 1925, reflecting the changes in its mandate. This also now authorized the use of all necessary means to carry out its mandate, including the protection of civilians, humanitarian personnel and human rights defenders under imminent threat of physical violence, and support for the DR Congo government efforts to stabilize and consolidate peace.

Following a mission in the country, persistent violence caused the Security Council to authorize an extension of that force, known as the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO). The mission was established to protect civilians from violence, facilitate humanitarian access, and disarm, demobilize, and reintegrate former combatants back into society. The Security Council has altered the mandate in the following years, including creating the first UN Force Intervention Brigade, which carries out targeted offensive operations to neutralize and disarm armed groups in Eastern Congo.

In 2020, the UN Security Council passed Resolution 2556 to extend the mandate of MONUSCO until December 20, 2021. This mission mandate is defined as protection of the civilian population, support for the stabilisation and strengthening of public institutions, and support for major reforms in governance and security. Accused of a number of human rights violations – especially sexualised violence. There are regular protests by the population against the UN peacekeeping mission, who do not feel protected by the UN soldiers.

U.S. Interests Strengthens the Rule of Law as it Facilitates Humanitarian Assistance Millions of people throughout the DRC — particularly in the country’s eastern provinces — are facing acute humanitarian challenges. More than 1.5 million Congolese are internally displaced, 3.6 million are estimated to be food insecure within the country, and overall, more than 7.5 million are currently in need of humanitarian assistance. MONUSCO works with the government, humanitarian actors, and the DRC police force to facilitate humanitarian assistance to displaced populations.

SECURITY COUNCIL EXTENDS MANDATE OF UN MISSION IN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
UNTIL 30 JUNE 2013, UNANIMOUSLY ADOPTING RESOLUTION 2053 (2012)

The Security Council decided to extend until 30 June 2013 the mandate of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), reaffirming its priority of protection of civilians and urging Congolese authorities to reform their security sector and end armed insurgencies and abuse of human rights in the vast African country.

Through the unanimous adoption of resolution 2053 (2012), the Council renewed the mandate of MONUSCO unchanged, but reiterated that future reconfigurations of the Mission should be determined on the basis of the evolution of the situation on the ground, ending violence in the eastern provinces, security sector reform and consolidation of State authority throughout the national territory.

“The Security Council,

“Acknowledging that there have been positive developments relative to the consolidation of peace and stability across the Democratic Republic of the Congo, but stressing that serious challenges remain, particularly in the eastern provinces, including the continued presence of armed groups in the Kivus and Oriental Province, serious abuses and violations of human rights and acts of violence against civilians, limited progress in building professional and accountable national security and rule of law institutions, and illegal exploitation of natural resources,

“Expressing deep concern at the deteriorating security situation in the eastern provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, including attacks by armed groups, attacks on peacekeepers and humanitarian personnel, which have restricted humanitarian access to conflict areas where vulnerable civilian populations reside, and the displacement of tens of thousands of civilians, and calling on all armed groups to cease hostilities, including all acts of violence committed against civilians, and urgently facilitate unhindered humanitarian access,

“Remaining greatly concerned by the humanitarian situation and the persistent high levels of violence and human rights abuses and violations against civilians, condemning in particular the targeted attacks against civilians, widespread sexual and gender-based violence, recruitment and use of children by parties to the conflict, in particular the mutineers of ex-Congrès National pour la Défense du Peuple (ex-CNDP) and the 23 March Movement (M23), the displacement of significant numbers of civilians, extrajudicial executions and arbitrary arrests and their deleterious effect on the stabilization, reconstruction and development efforts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, reiterating the urgent need for the swift prosecution of all perpetrators of human rights abuses and international humanitarian law violations, urging the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in cooperation with the United Nations, the International Criminal Court and other relevant actors, to implement the appropriate responses to address these challenges and to provide security, medical, legal, humanitarian and other assistance to victims,

“Welcoming the efforts of MONUSCO and international partners in delivering training in human rights, child protection and protection from sexual and gender-based violence for Congolese security forces and underlining its importance,

“Condemning all attacks against United Nations peacekeepers and humanitarian personnel, regardless of their perpetrators and emphasizing that those responsible for such attacks must be brought to justice,

“Determining that the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo continues to pose a threat to international peace and security in the region,

“Acting under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations:

• Decides to extend until 30 June 2013 the mandate of MONUSCO as set out in the resolution 1925 paragraphs 2, 11 and 12 (a) to (p) and (r) to (t), reaffirms that the protection of civilians must be given priority in decisions about the use of available capacity and resources and encourages further the use of innovative measures implemented by MONUSCO in the protection of civilians.
• Encourages the Government to ensure that members of the National Army are adequately paid and in a timely fashion, operate in accordance with established command and control regulations, and are subject to such disciplinary or judicial action as may be appropriate when regulations and laws are violated and reiterates its concern at the promotion within the Congolese security forces of well-known individuals responsible for serious human rights violations and abuses.
• Further stresses the importance of the Congolese Government actively seeking to hold accountable those responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity in the country and of regional cooperation to this end, including through cooperation with the International Criminal Court, calls upon MONUSCO to support the Congolese authorities in this regard, and takes note of the recent positive steps taken by the Congolese authorities to apprehend Bosco Ntaganda.
• Demands that all armed groups, in particular mutineers of ex-CNDP and M23, the FDLR, the LRA and the Allied Democratic Forces/National Army for the Liberation of Uganda (ADF/NALU), immediately cease all forms of violence and human rights abuses against the civilian population in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in particular against women and children, including rape and other forms of sexual abuse and child recruitment, and demobilize;
• Condemns recent mutiny led by Bosco Ntaganda and all outside support to all armed groups and demands that all forms of support to them cease immediately.
• Underlines the urgent need for continued progress in addressing the threat of foreign and national armed groups, including through further progress in the DDRRR process, urges the international community and donors to support the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and MONUSCO in DDRRR activities, calls upon the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and neighboring States to remain engaged in the process and urges the Government to make progress on the national programme for disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) of residual Congolese armed elements in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, with the support of MONUSCO.
• Encourages MONUSCO to enhance its interaction with the civilian population to raise awareness and understanding about its mandate and activities and to collect reliable information on violations and abuses of international humanitarian and human rights law perpetrated against civilians.
• Demands that all parties cooperate fully with the operations of MONUSCO and allow, in accordance with relevant provisions of international law, the full, safe, immediate and unhindered access for United Nations and associated personnel in carrying out their mandate to all those in need and delivery of humanitarian assistance, in particular to internally displaced persons, throughout the territory of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, including in the LRA-affected areas, and requests the Secretary-General to report without delay any failure to comply with these demands.

Which led to the following developments.

The situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo remained fragile as elements from the former Congrès national pour la défense du peuple (CNDP), now known as the Mouvement du 23 mars (M23), further consolidated their control over a significant portion of North Kivu Province. On 20 November, after intense fighting involving the Forces armées de la République démocratique du Congo (FARDC) and MONUSCO, M23 occupied Goma and withdrew from the city only on 2 December. In that context, attacks against civilians intensified and the humanitarian situation deteriorated significantly. Regional tensions were fuelled by reports of active external support continuing to be provided to M23.

The International Conference on the Great Lakes Region, with the support of other international and regional partners, was successful in facilitating the opening of a dialogue between the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and M23 in December. Despite a number of challenges and delays, those talks are continuing in Kampala.

Some Implementation of the mandate of the mission include:

• Protection of civilians
  MONUSCO employed a series of flexible short-term measures to provide security in areas where civilians were under imminent threat. This included the use of quick reaction forces and standing and mobile patrols around hotspots in Goma during the hiatus between the withdrawal of M23 and the redeployment of the Congolese armed forces and the Congolese national police. MONUSCO assigned five quick reaction forces to protect the internally displaced persons camps and sites of Mugunga I and III, Bulengo and Lac Vert. The Mission maintained a round-the-clock presence outside the Mugunga III camp to conduct night patrols. In terms of additional measures to enhance the protection of internally displaced persons, the Mission extended the community alert networks to Mugunga I and III, Bulengo, Nzulo and Lac Vert. The number of officials responsible for internally displaced persons was increased in each camp and site.MONUSCO deployed 82 community liaison assistants in Orientale Province and North Kivu between November 2012 and January 2013. During the reporting period, local communities and humanitarian actors alerted assistants about attacks or threats on 38 occasions, triggering a response from national security forces or MONUSCO. Assistants also worked on the extension of the existing community network in the Kivus and Orientale Province by identifying and training additional focal points. From November 2012 to January 2013, a total of six joint protection teams were deployed in South Kivu, North Kivu and Orientale Provinces to protect civilians under imminent threat.

  Mission deployment and provision of support to operations by the Congolese armed forces against armed groups
  36. MONUSCO continued to support the Congolese armed forces in confronting and containing the M23 rebellion in North Kivu at both the command level in Kinshasa and the tactical operational zone level in the field. The support was provided in strict compliance with the human rights due diligence policy on United Nations support to non-United Nations security forces.

  On 15 November, M23 launched a major offensive against the Congolese armed forces in North Kivu. During the battles that unfolded at Kibumba, Kibati, Munigi and up until the entry of M23 into Goma, MONUSCO forces were alongside FARDC and in some cases by themselves at the front. MONUSCO robustly supported FARDC, including through direct military engagement.
  MONUSCO launched 18 attack helicopter missions firing 620 rockets, four missiles and 492 rounds of 30-mm ammunition. On the ground, infantry support vehicles of the Mission fired some 800 30-mm rounds and North Kivu Brigade fired approximately 4,000 rounds of small arms ammunition in contact with the attacking forces seeking to advance on Goma. […]

  In South Kivu, MONUSCO built up its forces in and around Bukavu to prevent further advances of M23 southwards, notably around the airfield at Kavumu, where the attack helicopters of the Mission had been redeployed. MONUSCO coordinated defensive plans with FARDC and provided advice and training to FARDC units deployed in subsequent defensive positions in both North and South Kivu in order to help improve their capacity to hold ground and to counter any further attempts by M23 to undertake renewed offensive operations and threaten population centres and civilians.

  Operations elsewhere in the country in support of FARDC continued. In Orientale Province, Operation Reassurance, targeting LRA, was launched in December, while operations in Ituri in support of FARDC against FRPI continued. Furthermore, MONUSCO implemented a series of quick-impact retraining and re-equipping programmes, with the aim of bolstering the operational capabilities of FARDC. However, during the reporting period, the Government did not seek MONUSCO support for FARDC operations against Mayi-Mayi groups in central Katanga.

  On 6 January, a MONUSCO armoured personnel carrier based at the mobile operating base in Mambasa supported FARDC with heavy machine gun fire and jointly pushed back the several hundred Mayi-Mayi Simba combatants who had entered Mambasa town the previous day and caused FARDC to temporarily withdraw from the town. A MONUSCO helicopter from Bunia replenished FARDC small arms ammunition and rockets and evacuated 14 injured FARDC soldiers. […]

• Human rights
  Effects of M23 military activities in North Kivu continued to be at the core of human rights concerns. A high number of allegations of violations of human rights and international humanitarian law by M23 combatants were reported during the period under review, in particular in November 2012. The violations included killing, wounding, forced displacement, extensive looting and rape of civilians, including minors. Serious human rights violations were also committed by elements of FARDC while they were retreating from Goma on 20 November.
  Other armed groups, such as the Mayi-Mayi Raia Mutomboki, FDLR, the Mayi-Mayi Simba/ Lumumba and the Mayi-Mayi Gédéon, continued to take advantage of the security void left by the redeployed FARDC units to areas affected by the M23 rebellion. They launched violent attacks in various areas, and committed serious human rights violations against the civilian population.Despite the difficulties encountered in verifying a high number of allegations, mainly due to security constraints and witness/victim protection concerns, MONUSCO was able to confirm that M23 was responsible for serious human rights violations in several parts of Rutshuru territory, Goma, Sake and surrounding areas, including the killing and wounding of civilians, abductions, rapes and widespread lootings. In line with its protection mandate, the Mission provided various forms of assistance to several categories of civilians most at risk from M23 threats. In North and South Kivu, at least 19 human rights defenders and three journalists received direct threats from M23 elements, mostly for having spoken out against the group and resisting recruitment or defying orders.

  The escape of all detainees of Goma prison on 20 November and the prison break of 300 detainees in Butembo prison on 13 January, as well as the looting and destruction of judicial files at the North Kivu military court in Goma by M23 combatants late in November, represent a major setback in the fight against impunity and a threat to the security of civilians.

  As a result of several mobile court hearings held during the reporting period with the support of MONUSCO, three alleged Mayi-Mayi Simba combatants were convicted by the Ituri military garrison tribunal to sentences ranging from 20 years to life imprisonment for participation in an insurrectional movement, illegal detention of weapons of war and/or crimes against humanity involving rape, looting and murder. MONUSCO continues to advocate for the arrest and trial of the leader of the group, Captain Morgan, who is still at large. Slow progress was registered with regard to the trial in the case of the murder of Congolese human rights defender Floribert Chebeya and the enforced disappearance of his driver, Fidèle Bazana. Alleged perpetrators of the human rights violations committed in Kinshasa in the scope of the November 2011 elections, mainly elements of the defense and security forces, including of the Republican Guard, have yet to be arrested.

• Sexual violence
  Sexual violence continued to be of high concern. Nationwide, in November and December, MONUSCO recorded cases of sexual violence involving at least 333 women, including 70 girls, that were allegedly committed by armed groups and national security forces. In Orientale Province, in November, at least 66 women, including four minors, were reportedly raped by Mayi-Mayi Simba/Lumumba combatants in Mambasa territory. The victims were reportedly targeted during attacks on villages for their perceived collaboration with FARDC during operations against Mayi-Mayi Simba, aimed at chasing away the rebels from the mining area in Southern Mambasa. The number of cases may be far higher. Investigations into these violations are ongoing.The armed forces were also responsible for serious human rights violations. In South Kivu, at least 126 women, including 24 girls, were reportedly victims of sexual violence by FARDC soldiers in Minova and its surrounding villages, in Kalehe territory, from 20 to 22 November. A total of 11 FARDC elements had been arrested so far and were awaiting trial. […]
• Children and armed conflict
  An alarming number of reports of grave violations of children’s rights were documented, including killing and maiming, child recruitment, sexual violence and occupation of schools. As at 31 December, MONUSCO had documented 41 child casualties as a direct result of violent conflict. Those casualties included four children who had been killed and 37 others who had been injured. The majority of victims had been killed or wounded by stray bullets or shrapnel during armed clashes between FARDC and M23 from 19 to 22 November in and around Goma.Child recruitment by armed groups also increased dramatically. Cases were documented of 210 children, including 187 boys and 23 girls, who had been recruited or who had separated or escaped from armed groups. Of particular concern are ongoing reports of child recruitment by M23 in both Rwandan and Congolese territory. A total of 21 boys, including at least 7 Rwandan nationals associated with M23 in North Kivu, were interviewed by MONUSCO during the reporting period, bringing the total number of children associated with M23 documented by MONUSCO to 66. Their testimonies detailed widespread, ongoing and systematic underage recruitment on Congolese and Rwandan territory, as well as other violations, such as the killing and maiming of children within the ranks of M23. The 11 children arrested by Congolese security forces on allegations of association with M23 were released through advocacy by MONUSCO after having being detained for between two and six months. MONUSCO remains concerned by the prolonged detention and reports of ill-treatment of the children during detention. In addition, in Goma, MONUSCO is providing protection to transit centres hosting children formerly associated with armed groups through daily patrolling.

  Also in North and South Kivu, at least 42 primary and secondary schools were occupied and damaged by the Congolese armed forces. MONUSCO advocacy with the FARDC hierarchy resulted in the withdrawal of all troops from educational institutions. However, six schools in the Kivus continued to be occupied and used as weapons depots.

• Illegal exploitation of natural resources
  The centres de négoce (mining trading centres), established by the Government to ensure the traceability of minerals, were suspended on 18 December during a meeting of the partners due to two major obstacles. The first is the insecurity prevailing mainly in the mining sites around the Ndjingila and Itebero centres in Walikale territory due to the threats posed by the presence of Mayi-Mayi Raia Mutomboki and other armed groups and the FARDC military operations against them. The second stems from the rivalry between the holders of mining titles and artisanal miners affecting the opening of the centres of Rubaya, in North Kivu, and Mugogo, in South Kivu. Thousands of artisanal miners engage in illegal mining, as no official artisanal exploitation zones have been established to date in those areas. MONUSCO and the Ministry of Mines tried unsuccessfully to mediate between title holders and artisanal miners in order to attain special agreements aimed at recognizing the rights of the artisanal miners to exploit and process their production through the centres. All parties agreed that the operation of artisanal miners in concessions has legal, social and economic implications that need to be addressed during the current revision of the Mining Code in order to find long-term solutions.Concurrently, MONUSCO continued to support the process of tagging minerals and validating mining sites in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo to determine if mines are directly or indirectly controlled by armed groups and if basic human rights standards are respected.
  Despite efforts by MONUSCO, the establishment of two joint teams to monitor the illegal trafficking of minerals continues to be delayed since 2009 owing to a lack of resources and capacity of the Commission nationale de lutte contre la fraude minière. In parallel, with donor support, MONUSCO initiated a training project for “mining police” units of the Congolese national police.
• Disarmament, demobilization and reintegration/disarmament, demobilization,
  repatriation, resettlement and reintegration
  The military activities of M23 severely constrained the participation of foreign and Congolese armed elements in the disarmament, demobilization, repatriation, resettlement and reintegration process. During the reporting period, 279 foreign combatants and dependants were repatriated, including seven children who were associated with armed groups and 176 dependants. With respect to FDLR, 80 combatants, two children associated with armed groups and 159 dependants were repatriated.There is an increasing mixture of Congolese and foreign elements in both Congolese and foreign armed groups. Continued recruitments by foreign armed groups, including in their country of origin, remain a challenge. Overall, to minimize the threats posed by armed groups, disarmament, demobilization,
• Justice and correction institutions
  In November, MONUSCO, in close coordination with military and civilian justice authorities, evacuated from Goma 40 military and civilian justice personnel who were at risk of retaliation from M23 due to ongoing investigations of serious crimes involving some M23 leaders. The crisis left Goma with a considerable vacuum in the criminal justice chain.Some progress was achieved in the prosecution of serious crimes by the Congolese military justice through the assistance of prosecution support cells. As a result, the memorandum of understanding between the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and MONUSCO on modalities of assistance of the cells, which expired on 18 December, was renewed for another year. During the reporting period, the cells registered three additional requests, for a total of 28 official requests, from the military justice authorities for support in the prosecution and investigation of serious crimes, including war crimes. The cells also supported the holding of seven mobile court sessions, during which 30 judgements were rendered, including 13 related to sexual violence crimes.

  The UN Security Council unanimously approved an unprecedented offensive “intervention brigade” with a mandate to operate in the strife-torn eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

  However, while the enabling resolution authorizes the first-ever offensive unit, of 2,500 troops, to go after rebels by itself or with government troops in the nation’s resource-rich eastern section on “an exceptional basis and without creating a precedent” for UN Peacekeeping Operations, it insists on a “clear exit strategy” before it expires in one year.

  The special unit will become part of the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO).

  Its objective is to counter the “destabilizing activities of the March 23 Movement (M23) and other Congolese and foreign armed groups operating in the eastern Congo,” for violations of international humanitarian law, including “patterns of rape and other forms of sexual violence in situations of armed conflict” and an “increasing number of internally displaced persons in and refugees from eastern DRC.”

  The United Nations says almost 2 million people have been displaced.

  In addition to the M23, the resolution listed the Forces Democratiques de Liberation du Rwanda (FDLR), the Alliance des Patriotes pour un Congo libre et souverain (APCLS) and the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) in North Kivu, the Mayi-Mayi Gedeon and the Mayi-Mayi Kata-katanga in Katanga Province, the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) in Orientale Province.

  Additionally, the resolution cited “Rwandan reports of attacks by the FDLR on Rwandan territory.”

  Rwanda, just east of the DRC, had been accused in the past of aiding rebel troops in the DRC, but it joined Angola, Burundi, Central African Republic, DRC, Republic of Congo (Brazzaville), South Sudan, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda in signing on Feb. 24 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, a UN-drafted peace and security cooperation framework agreement for the DRC.

  UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomed the council’s resolution saying it will better enable the world organization in its implementation. The UN is a guarantor of the Addis Ababa accord along with the African Union (AU), the International Conference on the Great Lakes region (ICGLR) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

  Ban hopes strengthening of MONUSCO’s mandate “will contribute to the restoration of state authority and long-term stability in the eastern DRC,” his spokesman said. “He remains personally committed to helping bring peace and stability to the people of the DRC and the Great Lakes region and will keep working to ensure this remains a top priority for the international community.”

  UN Undersecretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Herve Ladsous told reporters “The brigade will be out of the force of MONUSCO and operate as a single command. Of course that will require additional enablers including helicopters that we are presently mustering. At the same time we are working with the countries that will contribute to the setting up of this brigade.”

  He anticipated three battalions from South Africa, Tanzania, Malawi, an artillery company and Special Forces and engineering elements.”

  I do very much think that today can be a significant turning point in the handling of this crisis which the DRC has suffered for many years,” Ladsous said. “At the end of the day, it is about putting an end to the suffering of millions of people.”

  Ambassador Li Baodong of China, spoke to the council after the vote.”He said China is seriously concerned about the worsening security and humanitarian situation in the east of the DRC and is deeply worried about the serious consequences this has on regional peace and security,” he said. “We resolutely support the efforts made by the government of the DRC in maintaining national sovereignty, territorial integrity, security and stability and we commend the United Nations, African Union and the relevant regional organizations for their positive role in addressing the problems in eastern DRC.”

  We hope that the MONUSCO will continue its efforts in communicating and coordinating withthe government of the DRC and strictly abide by the mandate as conferred by the Council so asto make a greater contribution in helping DRC in achieving long-term security

  – Ambassador Li Baodong.

  “China believes that the peacekeeping principles of the UN, the three principles which include consent of the parties, impartiality, and non-use of force except in self-defense or in defense of the mandate, provide an important guarantee for the success of the UN peacekeeping operations,” Li said, attaching ” great importance to the request by DRC” and other regional organizations for deployment of the intervention brigade.

  “China agrees to an exceptional case to the deployment of an intervention brigade within MONUSCO,” he said. “Under the terms of this resolution, deployment of this intervention brigade doesn’t constitute any precedent nor does it affect the United Nations’ continued adherence to the peacekeeping principles.”

  Following the 1994 genocide in Rwanda and the establishment of a new government there, some 1.2 million Rwandese Hutus — including elements who had taken part in the genocide — fled to the neighbouring Kivu regions of eastern DRC, formerly Zaïre, an area inhabited by ethnic Tutsis and others. A rebellion began there in 1996, pitting the forces led by Laurent Désiré Kabila against the army of President Mobutu Sese Seko. Kabila’s forces, aided by Rwanda and Uganda, took the capital city of Kinshasa in 1997 and renamed the country the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

In 1998, a rebellion against the Kabila government started in the Kivu regions. Within weeks, the rebels had seized large areas of the country. Angola, Chad, Namibia and Zimbabwe promised President Kabila military support, but the rebels maintained their grip on the eastern regions.
Rwanda and Uganda supported the rebel movement, the Congolese Rally for Democracy (RCD). The Security Council called for a ceasefire and the withdrawal of foreign forces, and urged states not to interfere in the country’s internal affairs.

MONUC

Following the signing of the Lusaka Ceasefire Agreement in July 1999 between the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and five regional States (Angola, Namibia, Rwanda, Uganda and Zimbabwe) in July 1999, the Security Council established the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) by its resolution 1279 of 30 November 1999, initially to plan for the observation of the ceasefire and disengagement of forces and maintain liaison with all parties to the Ceasefire Agreement. Later in a series of resolutions, the Council expanded the mandate of MONUC to the supervision of the implementation of the Ceasefire Agreement and assigned multiple related additional tasks.

The country’s first free and fair elections in 46 years were held on 30 July 2006, with voters electing a 500-seat National Assembly. Following a run-off election for the presidency on 29 October, and resolution of a subsequent legal challenge, President Joseph Kabila (son of late Laurent Désiré Kabila assassinated in 2001) was declared the winner. The entire electoral process represented one of the most complex votes the United Nations had ever helped organize.

Following the elections, MONUC remained on the ground and continued to implement multiple political, military, rule of law and capacity-building tasks as mandated by the Security Council resolutions, including trying to resolve ongoing conflicts in a number of the DRC provinces.

MONUSCO established

On 1 July 2010, the Security Council, by its Resolution 1925, renamed MONUC the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) to reflect the new phase reached in the country.

The new mission was authorized to use all necessary means to carry out its mandate relating, among other things, to the protection of civilians, humanitarian personnel and human rights defenders under imminent threat of physical violence and to support the Government of the DRC in its stabilization and peace consolidation efforts.

The Council decided that MONUSCO would comprise, in addition to the appropriate civilian, judiciary and correction components, a maximum of 19,815 military personnel, 760 military observers, 391 police personnel and 1,050 members of formed police units. Future reconfigurations of MONUSCO would be determined as the situation evolved on the ground, including: the completion of ongoing military operations in North and South Kivu as well as the Orientale provinces; improved government capacity to protect the population effectively; and the consolidation of state authority throughout the territory.

Intervention brigade approved

Although significant progress has been achieved in the DRC since the establishment of UN peacekeeping operation there and the situation in many regions of the country has generally stabilized, the eastern part continued to be plagued by recurrent waves of conflict, chronic humanitarian crises and serious human rights violations, including sexual and gender-based violence. Contributing to the cycles of violence have been the continued presence of Congolese and foreign armed groups taking advantage of power and security vacuums in the eastern part of the country; the illegal exploitation of resources; interference by neighboring countries;
pervasive impunity; intercommunal feuds; and the weak capacity of the national army and police to effectively protect civilians and the national territory and ensure law and order.

The recurrence of such cycles of violence, as exemplified by the major crisis in North Kivu which started in April 2012, continued to be an obstacle to peace in the DRC and threatened the overall stability and development of the Great Lakes region. In order to address the underlying causes of conflict and ensure that sustainable peace takes hold in the country and the wider region, the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the region was signed by representatives of 11 countries in the region, the Chairs of the African Union, the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region, the Southern African Development Community and the United Nations Secretary-General on 24 February 2013 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

On 28 March 2013, acting in support of the objectives of the Framework agreement for Peace, Security and Cooperation for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the region, and answering the call of Governments in Africa’s Great Lakes region, the Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 2098 (2013), by which it extended until 31 March 2014, the mandate of MONUSCO and created a specialized “intervention brigade” to strengthen the peacekeeping operation.

Acting on the recommendations contained in the 27 February special report, the Council decided that such a brigade would be set up for an initial period of one year and within the authorized troop ceiling of 19,815, on an exceptional basis and without creating a precedent or any prejudice to the agreed principles of peacekeeping. It would consist of three infantry battalions, one artillery and one special force and reconnaissance company with headquarters in Goma, and operate under direct command of the MONUSCO Force Commander, with the responsibility of neutralizing armed groups and the objective of contributing to reducing the threat posed by armed groups to state authority and civilian security in eastern DRC and to make space for stabilization activities. It was also decided that intervention brigade would have a clear exit strategy and that the Council would consider extending its mandate beyond one year on the basis of its performance, and of whether the DRC had made sufficient progress in implementing the Peace and Security Framework for the region.

The resolution strongly condemned 23 March Movement (M23), the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) “and all other armed groups and their continuing violence and abuses of human rights”. It tasked the new brigade with carrying out offensive operations, either unilaterally or jointly with the Congolese armed forces, “in a robust, highly mobile and versatile manner” to disrupt the activities of those groups.

With regard to the Peace and Security Framework for the region, brokered by the Secretary-General, the Council demanded that all signatory States implement their commitments in good faith, and encouraged the establishment of an oversight mechanism involving regional leaders, as well as a national mechanism to oversee implementation of reform measures agreed by the Democratic Republic of Congo.

On 28 March 2014, the Security Council, by its Resolution 2147, extended the mandate of MONUSCO until 31 March 2015 and decided that the renewed mandate would also include MONUSCO’s Intervention Brigade — “on an exceptional basis and without creating a precedent or any prejudice” — within the authorized troop ceiling of 19,815 military personnel, 760 military observers and staff officers, 391 police personnel and 1,050 formed police units.

At the same time, the Council noted the need for a clear exit strategy and decided that the Mission’s further reconfigurations and mandates should be based on the evolving situation and progress towards several objectives set out in accordance with its three priorities — protecting civilians, stabilizing the country, and supporting implementation of the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the region.

On 30 March 2016, the Security Council extended the mandate of the United Nations mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) for another year (Resolution 2277), warning that the humanitarian situation remains of great concern, as well as the delays in preparing for the November presidential elections.

In a resolution (2348) unanimously adopted on 31st March 2017, the 15-member body decided to keep the UN Organization Stabilization Mission (MONUSCO) until 31 March 2018, but approved 16,215 military personnel, 660 military observers and staff officers, 391 police personnel, and 1,050 personnel of formed police units.

On March 27, 2018, the Security Council adopted Resolution 2409 extending until March 31, 2019 the mandate of MONUSCO in the DRC, including its intervention brigade. The Council also authorized a troop ceiling comprising 16,215 military personnel, 660 military observers and staff officers, 391 police officers and 1,050 members of formed police units. MONUSCO’s strategic priorities are to contribute to the following objectives: a) Protection of civilians; b) Support for the implementation of the December 31, 2016 Agreement and the electoral process.

In the year 2017

Noting that the situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) continued to pose a threat to international peace and security in the Great Lakes region, UN Security Council adopted the Resolution 2348 (2017) extending for 12 months, until March 31, 2018, the mandate of the United Nations Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO) and reducing the Mission’s military personnel by 3,600 peacekeepers. Under the terms of this Resolution, MONUSCO’s strategic priorities were to contribute to: Ensuring the protection of civilians, Supporting the implementation of the December 31, 2016 Agreement and the electoral process with a view to contributing to the stabilization of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

In the year 2018

On March 27, 2018, the Security Council adopted the Resolution 2409 extending until March 31, 2019 MONUSCO’s mandate in the DRC, including its intervention brigade’s. The Council also authorized a troop staffing level comprising 16,215 military personnel, 660 military observers and staff officers, 391 police officers and 1,050 members of the formed police units.

MONUSCO’s strategic priorities were mainly to contribute to the following objectives:
a) Protection of civilians; b) Support for the implementation of the December 31, 2016 agreement and the electoral process that led to the organization of the December 31, 2018 elections and a peaceful transfer of power.

In this resolution and for the first time, the Security Council called on the Secretary-General to develop a phased, progressive and comprehensive exit strategy in collaboration with the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the United Nations country team and other relevant stakeholders, so as to promote country’s ownership and gradually transfer tasks for the purposes of an orderly withdrawal by MONUSCO.

In the year 2019

On March 29, 2019, The Security Council adopted the Resolution 2463 (2019) in which it decided to extend until December 20, 2019 MONUSCO’s mandate in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. As in its previous mandate, MONUSCO’s strategic priorities were to contribute to: Ensuring the protection of civilians, as set out in paragraph 29 (i) of this resolution; Supporting the stabilization and strengthening of the public institutions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as well as major governance and security reforms.

By deciding to extend MONUSCO’s mandate for an additional year, that is until December 20, 2020, the Council also renewed the same strategic priorities for MONUSCO, through the Resolution 2502 adopted on December 19, 2019.

In the year 2020

On December 18, 2020, the Security Council adopted the Resolution 2556 and decided to extend MONUSCO’s mandate in the Democratic Republic of the Congo until December 20, 2021 and, on an exceptional basis and without setting a precedent or calling into question the agreed principles governing peacekeeping operations, by its intervention brigade.

Through this Resolution, the Council decided that MONUSCO’s strategic priorities were to contribute: a) To ensuring the protection of civilians, as set out in sub-paragraph i) of paragraph 29 of this resolution; b) To supporting the stabilization and strengthening of State institutions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as well as main governance and security reforms. This is MONUSCO’s current mandate.

The United Nations peacekeeping force in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Monusco, is evacuating its base in the eastern town of Butembo. Local civil society actors say they feel ‘a sense of satisfaction’ and congratulate ‘the population who mobilised as one to demand the unconditional withdrawal of this contingent’.

“We would like them (the Monusco contingents, ed.) to withdraw from Beni territory, as well as from Lubero territory, and why not from North Kivu, as we have indicated in the four civil society coordinations of the north.” says Mathe Saanane, president of Butembo civil society.

Anger has been fuelled by perceptions that MONUSCO is failing to do enough to stop decades of armed conflict. More than 120 militias operate in the DRC’s troubled east. UN bases in eastern DRC were assailed last month by protesters angered at MONUSCO’s perceived failure to provide security Deadly clashes broke out on Tuesday between DR Congo troops and an armed group at an empty UN base in the country’s troubled east, officials said.

Two attackers were killed and four captured when the group struck the site in the city of Butembo, mayor Roger Mowa said. The UN peacekeeping force in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) had moved its troops out of the base following violent protests in late July.

They were redeployed to outside the city, according to the authorities. The attackers “thought that we had lied, that the MONUSCO troops hadn’t left,” said Mowa.

“They went and attacked this base and fortunately they didn’t find anything there.” The city is “secure,” he added.

UN bases in eastern DRC were assailed last month by protesters angered at MONUSCO’s perceived failure to provide security. Thirty-two demonstrators and four UN troops died over the course of a week-long disturbance, according to a Congolese toll. An estimated 120 armed groups roam eastern DRC, many of them a legacy of two regional wars that flared in the last decade of the 20th century.

Among the most notorious are the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), which the self-described Islamic State claims as its regional affiliate, and the M23, whose resurgence has parked a diplomatic row between the DRC and neighbouring Rwanda.

Last Thursday the DRC authorities said MONUSCO had “already left” Butembo and that any remaining equipment in the city would be moved out. But MONUSCO then insisted that it was “not leaving Butembo” but “momentarily suspending its operations.”

The city authorities published what they called a timetable for MONUSCO’s “planned redeployment” in Butembo, with traffic movements scheduled from August 20 to 24.

The force’s acting spokesman, Ndeye Khady Lo, told AFP on Tuesday that MONUSCO’s “temporary redeployment has taken effect. We no longer have personnel, either civilian or military in Butembo.” The force’s three bases were being secured by the DRC police and army, she added.

MONUSCO “will resume its activities in Butembo as soon as the minimum conditions guaranteeing safety and security for its personnel are there,” she said. The UN first deployed an observer mission to eastern Congo in 1999.

It became the peacekeeping mission MONUSCO — the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo — in 2010, with a mandate to conduct offensive operations.

It has a current strength of about 16,000 uniformed personnel.

On August 9, more than 800 inmates escaped from Butembo’s central jail after gunmen staged a jailbreak in which two policemen were killed.

A respected US-based monitor, the Kivu Security Tracker (KST), said the suspects were the ADF newing MONUSCO’s mandate for one year.

This mission will continue to offer support for peace and stability in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) by focusing on the protection of civilians, advocating for the disarmament of armed groups, and providing support for security sector reform.

France also commends the lifting of the notification requirement for arms shipments and activities relating to military assistance in the DRC. That move came in response to a request by the Congolese authorities, which France, the author of this resolution, took into account. It has no bearing on the weapons embargo against the armed groups that are active in the country.

United Nations

The president of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s senate, Modeste Bahati Lukwebo, called for the UN peacekeepers in the country to pack their bags after more than 20 years on the ground.

His fiery words led some to suggest that the violent anti-UN protests that kicked off ten days later in major cities across eastern parts of the country were the work of high-ranking politicians.

That is a problematic simplification: Depicting protesters as manipulated or paid for by politicians denies their agency and ignores the profound frustration many Congolese have with the UN peacekeeping mission in DRC, which is known by its French acronym, MONUSCO.

A better explanation for the protests should start with an analysis of current political events. Specifically, one must look at the resurgence of the once-dormant M23 armed group, which a leaked UN report indicates is being backed by neighbouring Rwanda.

MONUSCO’s perceived inaction on the crisis – which has now displaced nearly 200,000 people – and its failure to clearly denounce Rwanda’s presence on Congolese soil has caused a great deal of local frustration.

Rwanda’s involvement in the crisis has also revived a nationalist discourse that has MONUSCO in its crosshairs. Protesters have been voicing support for the Congolese army, while denouncing various foreign armed actors operating in the country.

Distrust of outside actors has deep roots in DRC. From Belgian King Leopold II’s rubber regime to the illegal export of minerals today, the country is seen as a playground for colonial and neo-colonial forces seeking to enrich themselves.

Instead of easing current tensions with civilians, peacekeepers have inflamed the situation. They have shot at protesters and other unarmed civilians, leaving scores dead. This has confirmed the negative image many people already had of the mission.

If MONUSCO really wants to improve its image and use the rest of its mandate to fight armed groups – instead of angry civilians – it should start by listening to the genuine grievances of the Congolese population.

Difficult questions, colonial legacy

MONUSCO, and its predecessor mission (MONUC), have operated in DRC since 1999. It is the most expensive peace operation in UN history. However, it has consistently struggled to protect civilians, leading to several waves of protests in recent years.

Demonstrations tend to take place in urban areas, where the stark contrast between the lives of local inhabitants and the expatriate world of the UN reinforces the feeling that MONUSCO is not defending Congolese interests.

As columns of white UN pickups drive to fancy lakeside restaurants and nightclubs in places like Goma – the largest city in the east – people on the side of the road are left to wonder where all of the money is really going.

The relative comfort of expats – especially when compared to the difficult living conditions of army soldiers – makes people think that peacekeepers are in DRC for their own economic interest, rather than to bring peace.

As columns of white UN pickups drive to fancy lakeside restaurants… people on the side of the road are left to wonder where all of the money is really going.

A recent WhatsApp message on a group used by many of the protest organizers illustrates this point: “The misfortune of the Congolese people pleases [the peacekeepers] because it gives them a reason to make more money and stay in the DRC for tourism in the name of protection of civilians.”

Comments like this are also rooted in longer-standing perceptions of foreign actors pillaging DRC’s wealth. The image of the ‘thieving white man’ has become entrenched in the consciousness of many Congolese. MONUSCO is unable to escape it.

As one of the organizers of the protests wrote recently on Facebook: “Next Monday, the demonstrations begin, and they will last until the departure of the whites of the UN who enrich themselves on Congolese soil.”

Tight-lipped on Rwanda

Some level of elite manipulation may have played a role in sparking the current protests.
Popular anger at MONUSCO is, after all, a welcome distraction for political elites keen to hide their own shortcomings.

Still, protesters have been critical of the Congolese government – not just MONUSCO. On social media, they have questioned politicians for renewing the mission’s mandate and for arresting their comrades during previous anti-UN protests.

The protesters also did not need to be pushed much to demonstrate their outrage. Anti-UN sentiment was already rising significantly amid the M23 crisis and renewed tensions between DRC and Rwanda.

The M23 rebels – who claim to defend the interests of Rwandese-speaking communities in Congo – are reportedly receiving direct military support from Kigali, which has intervened repeatedly in DRC since the 1990s.

Yet MONUSCO failed to publicly censure Rwanda’s presence on Congolese soil at a Security Council meeting in late June. This is despite the fact that Rwanda’s involvement was crystal clear to large parts of the Congolese population.

The tacit support of Western states for Rwandan President Paul Kagame, and the UK’s refugee deal with Kigali, reinforces a belief that the international community – and by extension MONUSCO – is not on DRC’s side in this conflict.

Recent comments by the UN’s special envoy for the Great Lakes Region, Huang Xia, are another source of frustration. Instead of condemning Rwanda, the Chinese diplomat called for talks between the conflicting parties.

The tacit support of Western states for Rwandan President Paul Kagame… reinforces a belief that the international community – and by extension MONUSCO – is not on DRC’s side in this conflict.

Many Congolese now accuse MONUSCO of supporting the rebels. “MONUSCO and the UN are allies of M23 and Rwanda,” one activist recently wrote on social media. “That’s why they force the Congolese government to negotiate with the terrorists.”

The allegations of UN collaboration with M23 and Rwanda are in all likelihood false. But their spread demonstrates the distrust that many protesters have of foreign armed actors seen as detrimental to Congolese sovereignty.

The challenge for MONUSCO now lies in showing that they are willing to come out of their compounds to talk with people they are supposedly protecting and in debunking the false myths that are circulating.

Solidarity and belonging

MONUSCO will have to address other grievances too. Many of the participants and social movements involved in the demonstrations have ties to the eastern regions of Beni and Butembo, where the Nande community originates.

This region suffered the worst of the poorly managed 2018-2020 Ebola epidemic. And residents there have also suffered from several years of violent attacks by the Allied Democratic Forces – one of the deadliest armed groups in eastern DRC.

They reason that if the UN really wanted to end the violence, given its vast means, it would already have done so.

Many Nande see these dynamics as part of a conspiracy against them – one the government and MONUSCO are both complicit in. They reason that if the UN really wanted to end the violence, given its vast means, it would already have done so.

Nande solidarity creates fertile ground for political mobilisation. Butembo-based movements like Veranda Mutsanga – which regularly reference Nande identity – helped organise the recent protests and mobilised members of their community in other cities like Goma.

These broader cultural dynamics of ethnic solidarity and belonging are important elements to the protest movement. They also again show the limitations of viewing demonstrations through the narrow prism of elite manipulation.

No easy solutions

MONUSCO’s departure does not yet seem imminent. But if nothing changes, and popular objections are not taken into account by the mission, protests will continue to happen.

While no easy solution is in sight, the mission should start by listening to the protesters. Hiding behind the mandate it receives from the Congolese government is unlikely to do any good, since the government itself faces severe legitimacy challenges.

The mission should also try to deal with the realpolitik of Western states that are unwilling to denounce Rwanda’s involvement in the M23 crisis, which has already cost dozens of civilian lives.

The mission should start a deeper reflection on what peacekeeping looks like in a post-colonial world.

That may prove easier after the recently leaked report from the UN’s Group of Experts, which unequivocally showed Rwanda’s support for the rebels. This pushed US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to raise the issue in a meeting with Kagame earlier this month.

Finally, the mission should start a deeper reflection on what peacekeeping looks like in a post-colonial world, where foreign involvement brings up memories of colonial and neo-colonial interference.

That means actively trying to counter the image that MONUSCO is solely present for self-interest. And it means reaching out to residents to ask how they think peacekeepers should do their job while respecting Congolese sovereignty.

Which leaves us Wondering Is the UN overstaying its welcome in the Democratic Republic of Congo?
IPIS Briefing October/November 2022

What is happening?

Since July 2022 the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has seen a series of protests against MONUSCO, the UN peacekeeping mission deployed in the DRC. The protests took place in multiple cities in eastern DRC, which has recently seen an increase in armed group activity. The protestors voiced their anger towards the UN for being unable to protect civilians against the violence of armed groups. Considering that the UN Security Council needs to renew MONUSCO’s mandate in December 2022, now would be a good time to assess whether UN peacekeepers are still welcome in the DRC.

Protests against MONUSCO are not a new phenomenon in the DRC, anti-MONUSCO sentiments have flared up at moments of increased insecurity in eastern DRC. 2019 also saw large-scale protests against MONUSCO shortly after the ADF armed group committed atrocities against civilians in North Kivu that the UN was unable to prevent. Still, this recent string of demonstrations is noteworthy for its scale and violence. One demonstration escalated significantly when UN peacekeepers opened fire on protestors, killing two people. Overall, protests in July alone have caused the death of thirty-six, including four peacekeepers.

In September and October there were again demonstrations against MONUSCO, with protestors trying to set fire to a UN base in Rutshuru. In November, a group of civilians attacked a MONUSCO convoy in Kanyaruchinya. It should be noted however that not all protests have been violent, for example, an initiative in Goma organised ‘une journée ville-morte’ – a ghost-town day– to demand the departure of MONUSCO.

The Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping attends a memorial in Goma for the peacekeepers that lost their lives in the anti-MONUSCO protests.

What is the historical context?

Since 1999 there have been several iterations of UN peacekeeping in the DRC. Despite changes in the mission, the mandate has included the protection of civilians in one form or another since 2000. To the frustration of the Congolese population and politicians, MONUSCO has, however, not always lived up to the ambition of its mandate. The UN has been accused of failing to protect civilians from violence by armed groups at several times.

A turning point in the history of MONUSCO was the capture of Goma by the armed group M23 in November 2012. The fall of Goma led to local and international outcry over the UN’s inability to stop the rebel group from capturing the city. In response to the capture of Goma, MONUSCO’s mandate was further expanded by the addition of the Force Intervention Brigade (FIB) in 2013. The FIB has the exceptional mandate to undertake unilateral offensive actions to neutralize designated rebel groups, whereas peacekeepers are usually mandated to use minimal force and only if civilians are under imminent threat.

While the FIB was initially successful in driving the M23 armed group out of Goma in 2013, it was unable to keep up the momentum of the offensive. Some observers have laid the blame partially on the Congolese government for being unwilling to coordinate with the UN in their military operations. Still, it left the UN, again, with a reputation of being unable to stabilize the region and protect civilians from the often-abusive rebel groups in eastern DRC.

What are the current conflict dynamics in eastern DRC?

At this moment, the resurgence of the M23 rebel group and the persistent human rights violations by the armed groups CODECO and ADF are the main drivers of instability in eastern DRC. Although M23 rebels were assumed to be ‘defeated’ and pushed out of the DRC in 2013, the group reorganised and re-entered the DRC in late 2021. According to President Tshisekedi and the UN group of experts, they did so with the support of the Rwandan government. The resurgence of the M23 has been accompanied by a string of violence against civilians in the villages of Ruvumu, Ruseke, and Kabindi. The attacks have also led to large numbers of internally displaced persons from North Kivu. Protestors raise the question why MONUSCO remains in the DRC when it is unable to fulfil its mandate of protecting civilians from the violence of armed groups. The backlash against the UN has been extra severe due to the perception of M23 as foreign armed group, which has led some Congolese to see the UN as Rwandan ally.

The UN itself is partially responsible for the negative perceptions many Congolese have of it. A 2019 independent strategic review of MONUSCO argued that the military aspect of the peacekeeping mission had come to overshadow its civilian and political components; the political process to demobilize and negotiate with armed groups has been stuck for several years. The review also stated that this military focus of MONUSCO has led to misunderstandings among the Congolese population about the mandate and scope of the mission. Likewise, MONUSCO’s Deputy Special Representative to the Secretary-General stated in response to the protests that misunderstandings about MONUSCO created excessive
expectations of the peacekeeping mission.

It seems that hostility towards MONUSCO is exacerbated by the inability of the UN to properly engage with local communities, making it easy for caricatures and rumours about the motives of the UN to arise and circulate. These rumours, such as allegations that the UN actually supports the M23 rebel group, demonstrate how poorly MONUSCO is perceived and further fuel anti-UN sentiments. The fact that many peacekeepers do not speak local languages further impedes the communication on the ground.

MONUSCO does try to reach out to local communities by organizing meetings with peacekeepers.

What is the political context?

Pressure on the UN does not only come from the grassroots level; political elites also echo critiques of MONUSCO. In a speech given just before the start of the protests, the President of the Senate, Bahati Lukwebo, criticised the UN for not providing stability in eastern Congo and called on MONUSCO to leave the DRC. The Minister of Media and Communication suggested in August that MONUSCO had not done everything in its power to liberate the town of Bunagana from the capture of rebel group M23. Furthermore, the UN spokesperson of MONUSCO was asked to leave the country when he expressed concerns that the M23 is better equipped than MONUSCO. For political elites, the UN is an easy scapegoat for the shortcomings of the Congolese army and the failing DDR strategy.

This scapegoating of MONUSCO has played a part in the backlash against the UN. When addressing the protests, President Tshisekedi even spoke of manipulation of anti-MONUSCO sentiments. A leaked report by the Group of Experts referred to the protests as ‘not spontaneous, but rather well organised and coordinated’. During the protests in 2019, UN staff reportedly said that officers from the Congolese army fuelled protests against the UN by spreading hostile information about the peacekeepers to distract from the failures of the Congolese army. Similar remarks were made about the 2022 protests. A recent report by the International Peace Institute also observed an increase in disinformation about MONUSCO in the DRC.

Still, while scapegoating takes place, this is not to say that these elites have conjured up anti-UN sentiments out of thin air. A poll conducted in April by the Congo Research Group estimated that 44% of the Congolese population want MONUSCO to leave immediately, with this percentage being even higher in provinces affected by the recent violence.

Compared to the political context of earlier anti-MONUSCO protests there is a new element worth noting. Earlier this year, the East African Community (EAC) agreed to set up a regional intervention force to combat the various rebel groups in eastern DRC. Tshisekedi’s government is looking to speed up MONUSCO’s exit strategy and is perhaps considering the EAC as alternative peacekeeping force. Currently the new intervention force is mandated to work together with the UN, but the arrival of the Ugandan contingent was only announced to the UN a couple of days before their arrival.

What does the future hold for MONUSCO?

MONUSCO is scheduled to leave the DRC by 2024. Already, the mission has slowly been reducing its presence; in June MONUSCO withdrew its troops from Tanganyika province after ‘having accomplished its mission’. While the Congolese government wants to speed up the withdrawal, the recent rise in violence and the elections next year raise the question whether MONUSCO can indeed leave the DRC earlier.

There are also some more positive developments. In addition to the military intervention, the EAC has also organised two peace processes: the Nairobi Process for peace talks between the Congolese government and various armed groups, and the Luanda Process aimed at improving the poor relations between Rwanda and the DRC. While so far there have been no diplomatic breakthroughs, a new round of negotiations has started in November. Considering the regional dynamics of the conflict in eastern Congo, support from regional powers could prove to be an important step in progressing the peace process. The UN is not a part of the EAC diplomatic framework, but has expressed its support for the negotiations.

All in all, the anti-MONUSCO protests will not lead to the immediate withdrawal of MONUSCO, though the UN has communicated that it is willing it to work with the Congolese government to shorten the timeframe of MONUSCO’s withdrawal from the DRC. The protests demonstrate the ongoing ‘crisis of confidence’ in MONUSCO and are a signal to the UN that it needs to further invest in building relations with the Congolese population.

Cairo, Egypt – CCCPA organized a pre-deployment training (PDT) for 67 Egyptian Troops joining the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) from 25-30 August 2018. The aim of the PDT is to train and prepare peacekeepers before their deployment to the mission in Congo.

The training is held in collaboration between CCCPA and the Egyptian Ministry of Defense, in accordance with General Assembly resolution A/RES/49/37. Egypt’s total contribution to MONUSCO is 489 peacekeepers.

The training starts off with a presentation on the nature of conflict in the respective country, to make the course context-specific for the mission. The curriculum utilized in the training is based on the Core Pre-Deployment Training Material (CPTM), including UN peacekeeping principles, international humanitarian law and human rights, the rules of engagement, protection of civilians, the role of gender and women in peacekeeping, and preventing sexual exploitation and abuse.