Deaths Reported in DR Congo Amid Anti-UN Protest
Link to article(s): https://allafrica.com/stories/202309210265.htm https://allafrica.com/view/group/main/main/id/00086848.html
Summary: The Democratic Republic of the Congo President Felix Tshisekedi requested that his government move quickly to evacuate the United Nations peacekeeping mission, so it could be by the end of the year. The mission, known as the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), came after a U.N. operation in 2010 to help reduce unrest in the country’s eastern region, where armed factions battle for control of territory and resources.
However, its presence has been under fire for what critics say is a failure to protect civilians from militia groups, resulting in deadly protests. An army crackdown on violent anti-U.N. protests in the eastern city of Goma in August resulted in the deaths of over 40 people and the injury of several others. A second protest in July 2022 left more than 15 people dead, including three peacekeepers in the cities of Butembo and Goma. “It is to be deplored that peacekeeping missions deployed for 25 years… have failed to cope with the rebellions and armed conflicts,” Tshisekedi told the UN assembly in a speech. Even the protests against the UN have turned incredibly violent. The head of the International Red Cross branch in Goma, Anne-Sylvie Linder, said her clinic had received many patients with serious stab and gunshot wounds after one such protest. A United Nations source told Reuters news agency there were “credible” reports of more than 50 fatalities after soldiers blocked protesters who had gathered at a church before the demonstrations got underway.
Analysis: The Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo will leave the country. It ends a very contentious mission, but possibly leaves behind a hole that could exacerbate the violence there further. It leaves the Congo’s estimated 100,000-strong military to adapt to the challenge. After a quarter-century of peacekeeping efforts, “it’s time for our country to take its destiny fully in hand” and become the leading security force in Congo, Tshisekedi said. He accuses the UN of being unable to confront the fighting in eastern Congo that is “tearing apart” the central African nation. Eastern Congo, far from the capital, has been long overrun with armed groups looking to control the region and its resources. As the U.N. mission withdraws, more pressure is likely to fall on a separate, much smaller East African regional force in eastern Congo, which has also seen citizen protests. Earlier this year, the Southern African Development Community also decided to deploy forces to eastern Congo. Frustrated Congolese say that no one is protecting them from rebel attacks. If this military adjustment goes well, it would increase civilian safety and trust. If not, vice versa.
Connection to our class: We have been learning about many IGOs and NGOs, and in this situation you see big examples of both in action. Or for the UN, soon to be inaction? The Red Cross has an important presence in the country as healthcare, and the UN as a disliked peacekeeping force. The UN pulling out would also respect the Congo’s sovereignty.