The role of MONUSCO in the Democratic Republic of Congo continues to be debated. While the United Nations Stabilization Mission in the DRC declares it is intensifying its actions on the ground to protect civilians, critical voices are being raised to question its effectiveness.
Some citizen organizations and NGOs question MONUSCO’s assertions. The Peace Forum deplores the lack of concrete results from the UN mission and highlights the paradox of its presence, with an increase in the number of civilians killed in areas under its control. According to them, MONUSCO has become yet another problem for the DRC, not being able to fulfill its mission of protecting civilians.
For its part, civil society in the town of Beni regrets the essentially theoretical nature of MONUSCO’s mandate. Despite the presence of UN mission troops, massacres of civilians continue to occur and armed groups are formed, instead of being wiped out. Civil society also denounces abuses committed by certain MONUSCO agents, with investigations which are slow to conclude.
Faced with these criticisms, the Congolese government contacted the President of the UN Security Council to request a staggered, responsible and lasting withdrawal of MONUSCO. He considers that the UN mission was not able to fulfill its role and that other solutions must be considered.
It is therefore obvious that the question of the effectiveness of MONUSCO remains a subject of debate in the DRC. While the UN mission claims to be intensifying its actions to protect civilians, voices are being raised to question its real influence on the ground. A reassessment of its role and impact is necessary to guarantee the security and protection of civilian populations in the DRC.