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UN's Role Expanded As Conflict Escalates in the DRC

The Nation (Nairobi)
NEWS
July 19, 2004
Posted to the web July 19, 2004

By Victor Bwire
Nairobi
Conflicts between the pastoralist Hema and Lendu farmers over land and mineral
resources in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have persisted since June
1990.
The skirmishes erupted into a full scale civil war that has so far seen 50,000
people killed and 500,000 flee to neighbouring countries.
On February 24 2000, the United Nations, by adopting the Security Council
Resolution 1291, established the UN Mission to the Democratic Republic of Congo
(Commonly known by the French acronym MONUC).
The main goals of the mission were to monitor the implementation of the
Ceasefire Agreement and to investigate violations of the ceasefire, to work
with the protagonists to obtain the release of all prisoners of war and to
supervise and verify the disengagement and redeployment of the parties' forces.
As fighting heightened, the UN security council on May 31 2003 unanimously
authorised the deployment of a French-led international force in north-eastern
Congo.
As already noted, Monuc's original mandate was concerned with the
implementation of the Lusaka Ceasefire Agreement and did not include the
protection of civilians in the areas its infantry battalions were situated.
As the magnitude of the work increased and the situation became complicated, it
was proposed that the role of Monuc be expanded to include post-conflict roles
in the DRC, including policing, child protection and assistance with economic
recovery.
Initially, it had been proposed that 3,500 soldiers be sent to DRC and by June
2001, the UN had 2,003 soldiers and 363 military observers had been sent to the
ground.
It is these troops on the ground that is causing problems for local people.

   

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