In the coming weeks, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) will likely pass a resolution renewing the mandate of MONUSCO, the UN peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The resolution is an opportunity for the UNSC both to provide new direction to MONUSCO, and to respond to broader protection challenges facing the DRC.
The mandate renewal takes place at a challenging moment in the Congo. The M23 armed group has taken over significant territory in the DRC’s North Kivu province, consistently repelling the Congolese military (FARDC). The latest round of violence, which began in late October, has displaced at least 200,000 people, tens of thousands of whom are living in makeshift camps for internally displaced people outside Goma, the provincial capital. Despite a November 23 ceasefire between the DRC and Rwanda (which has been widely accused of supporting M23), violence has continued. Thus far, there is little indication that FARDC—even with MONUSCO support—has the capacity to defeat the armed group.
The recent fighting broke out in an already dire protection context. Communities across eastern Congo contend with the presence of over 100 armed groups, weak or non-existent state authority in certain areas, and ineffective or abusive security forces. Armed conflict continues to exacerbate a catastrophic humanitarian situation. Currently, the DRC faces one of the world’s largest displacement crises, with over 5.9 million Congolese displaced. Across the country, more than 27 million people are facing acute food insecurity.
Both the devastating impact of conflict and the perception that the mission is not adequately protecting civilians have fueled anti-MONUSCO sentiment. In July 2022, protesters calling for MONUSCO’s departure attacked mission bases in several cities—over 30 Congolese civilians and four peacekeepers were killed. Following the protests, the Congolese government announced it would “re-evaluate” the 2021 Joint Transition Plan, a document drafted by MONUSCO and the government to guide the mission’s drawdown from the DRC.
The UNSC will need to respond to these and other developments. Notably, a new regional force under the auspices of the East African Community (EACRF) has begun deploying into the DRC. Given that the force is comprised of troops from east African militaries, several of which have previously conducted operations in the DRC, it faces a mistrustful public. Additionally, planned elections in 2023 could trigger new rounds of fighting.
A single UNSC resolution cannot resolve these challenges. But by renewing the mission’s mandate—and in doing so, promulgating a new binding measure of international law—the UNSC can help prioritize protection in the DRC, both by mandating changes to MONUSCO and by responding more generally to the protection crises affecting the country. For example, the UNSC could reiterate MONUSCO and the government’s obligation to include civil society organizations in the mission’s transition process and clarify the importance of a conditions-based MONUSCO drawdown. As discussed below, a progressive withdrawal that effectively includes civil society will reduce the likelihood that MONUSCO’s drawdown will exacerbate an already fragile context. Secondly, the Council could insist on minimum standards for information-sharing and deconfliction between MONUSCO and the EACRF, both of which are critical to either force’s efforts to respond to protection threats. Finally, the Council could call for the immediate cessation of regional support to armed groups in the DRC. Such support, which largely fuels the violence that continues to devastate Congolese communities, is fundamentally incompatible with a brighter future in the Congo.
Civil Society Inclusion
Civil society organizations (CSOs)…
Read More: In a Worsening DRC, How Can the Security Council Keep Focus on Protection of Civilians?