United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Infobox UN
name = United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo


caption = MONUC peacekeepers
type = Peacekeeping Mission
acronyms = MONUC
head = Alan Doss
status = Active
established = 24 February 2000
website = http://www.monuc.org
parent = United Nations Security Council
subsidiaries =
commons =
footnotes = The Mission of the United Nations in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), abbreviated MONUC (a French acronym for Mission de l' Organisation des Nations Unies en République démocratique du Congo) is a United Nations peacekeeping force established on February 24, 2000, by Resolution 1291UN document |docid=S-RES-1291(2000) |type=Resolution |body=Security Council |year=2000 |resolution_number=1291 |accessdate=2008-09-06] of the United Nations Security Council to monitor the peace process of the Second Congo War, though much of its focus subsequently turned to the conflict in the Ituri. The initial UN presence in the Congo, before the passing of Resolution 1291, was a force of military observers to observe and report on the compliance on factions with the peace accords, a deployment authorised by the earlier Resolution 1258 (1999).UN document |docid=S-RES-1258(1999) |type=Resolution |body=Security Council |year=1999 |resolution_number=1258 |accessdate=2008-09-06]

The headquarters of the mission are in Kinshasa, DRC. The mission views the DRC as consisting of 6 sectors, each with its own staff headquarters. In 2005-6 the Eastern Division however was formed at Kisangani and took over brigades in North Kivu, South Kivu, and Ituri, along with two or three of the Sector HQs.

The approved budget for MONUC, from July 1, 2007 to June 30, 2008, is US$1,166.72 million, the largest for any current UN peacekeeping operation.

History

The origin of this second United Nations military presence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is found in the signature of the Lusaka agreement on the 17th of July 1999 and the following U.N. Security Council Resolution 1258 of August 6, 1999, authorizing the deployment of a maximum of 90 officers.

The first liaison officers arrived in the DRC on September 3, 1999. In November 1999 the number of liaison officers totaled 39, distributed in the capitals of the warring countries (Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi, Zambia, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia) including 24 who were stationed in Kinshasa. In January 2000 they reached the number of 79 and they were spread over the whole territory of DRC. Their mission was to liaise with all the warring factions, give a technical assistance and prepare the deployment of military observers.

On February 24, 2000 with the resolution 1291, the U.N. Security Council authorized the deployment of a maximum of 5537 military personnel in the DRC, including 500 military observers. On April 4, 2000 the Senegalese Major General Mountago Diallo was appointed as the commander of MONUC’s military force. The mandate is to monitor the implementation of the Ceasefire Agreement and the redeployment of belligerent forces, to develop an action plan for the overall implementation of the Ceasefire Agreement, to work with the parties to obtain the release of all prisoners of war, military captives and the return of the remains, to facilitate humanitarian assistance and to assist the Facilitator of the National Dialogue.

Acting under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations the U.N. Security Council authorized MONUC to take the necessary action, in the areas of deployment of its infantry battalions, to protect UN personnel, facilities, installations and equipment, ensure the security and freedom of movement of its personnel, and to protect civilians under imminent threat of physical violence.

In December 2000 there were 224 military personnel deployed, including 148 observers in 13 points around the country. The observers could only record the non- application of the Ceasefire, the violent fighting at Kisangani and in the Equateur and Katanga provinces as well as the presence of foreign troops in the DRC. The deployment of UN troops was impossible due to the security situation and the reluctance of the Congolese government.

Even though the beginning of 2001 was still hampered by sporadic combat, the military observers could fulfill their mission in regards with the disengagement of forces and the withdrawal of some of the Rwandan and Ugandan forces.

On the March 29, 2001 the first Uruguayan guard unit arrived in Kalemie. The force was deployed in four sectors at Kananga, Kisangani, Kalemie and Mbandaka. In July 2001, the force strength was of 2366 soldiers, including 363 military observers distributed in 22 cities and 28 teams monitoring the disengagement of forces. The contingent soldiers totaled 1869. They came from South Africa, Uruguay, Morocco, Senegal and Tunisia. Guard units protected MONUC installations in Kinshasa, Kananga, Kisangani, Kalemie, Goma and Mbandaka. A Uruguayan riverine unit and a South African air medical evacuation team were also deployed. The deployed troops were only to protect the sites against looting and theft, the force had neither the mandate nor the strength to protect the civilian population, or even to extract MONUC personnel. Following the Security Council resolution 1355, the military observers, within their capacities, could also contribute to the voluntary disarmament, demobilization, repatriation and reintegration process of the armed groups.

With the resolution 1376, the Security Council launched the third phase of the deployment of MONUC troops, in the East of DRC. The site for the logistical base was planned to be Kindu.

In 2002 the 450, military observers, split in 95 teams, continued to monitor the Ceasefire along the ex-frontlines. The teams also investigated violations of the Ceasefire. Foreign troops continue to leave the country. The riverine units escorted the first ships on the Congo river, which was again open to commercial traffic. In June 2002 the blue helmets total number was 3804. Contingents from Ghana and Bolivia joined the force, of which more than a third of the soldiers were Uruguayan. More than a thousand soldiers were deployed in Kisangani. Even though Uruguayan engineers were tasked with demining, on May 14, 2002, a military observer died near Ikela following the explosion of mine under his vehicle.

On the 30th of July 2002, the different parties signed the Pretoria agreement. The nature of the mission of the peacekeepers changed. The military observers monitored the withdrawal of 20 000 Rwandan soldiers, but they also noted the rise of ethnic violence in Ituri. At the end of 2002 there were a total of 4200 UN soldiers in the DRC. By Resolution 1445 the Security Council authorized the increase of military personnel to 8500. The principle of two independent intervention forces was also approved. MONUC had to support the voluntary disarmament, demobilization, repatriation, reintegration and resettlement (DDRRR) process, but without using force.

Numerous DDRRR operations in collaboration with the civilian component were conducted in the beginning of 2003. Before the start of the transition, UN soldiers were deployed along the front lines. A vast redeployment to the East started. The four coordination centers and 22 bases in the western part of the country were shut down. Over a hundred observers were redeployed and Uruguayan contingents arrived in Bukavu and Lubero. Observer teams monitored serious combats and human rigts violations in Ituri. In April 2003 800 Uruguayan soldiers were deployed in Bunia. In the same month an observer died in a mine explosion. In May 2003 two military observers were savagely killed by a militia.

The withdrawal of 7000 Ugandan troops in April 2003 led to a deteriorating security situation in the Ituri region endangering the peace process. The U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan called for establishing and deploying a temporary multi-national force to the area until the weakened MONUC mission could be reinforced. In his second special report to the Security Council, the U.N. Secretary General proposed a reorientation of MONUC missions: to provide support to the transition and to maintain security in key areas of the country. Accordingly he proposed the creation of a brigade in Ituri to support the peace process.

On May 30, 2003 the Security Council by its Resolution 1493 authorized the deployment of interim emergency multinational force in Bunia with a task to secure the airport, protect internally displaced persons in camps and the civilians in the town. Resolution 1493 authorized an increase of military personnel to 10 800, imposed and arms embargo and authorized MONUC to use all necessary means to fulfill its mandate in the Ituri district and, as it deemed it to be within its capabilities, also in North and South Kivu.

The French Government had already shown interest in leading the operation. It soon broadened to an EU-led mission with France as the framework nation providing the bulk of the personnel and complemented by contributions from both EU and non-EU nations. The total force consisted of about 1800 personnel and was supported by French aircraft based at N'Djamena and Entebbe airfields. A small 80 man Swedish Special Forces group (SSG) was also added.

The operation called Operation Artemis was launched on June 12 and the IMEF completed its deployment in the following three weeks. The force was successful in stabilising the situation in Bunia and enforcing the UN presence in the DRC. In September 2003, responsibility for the security of the region was handed over to the MONUC mission. [http://pbpu.unlb.org/PBPS/Pages/PUBLIC/ViewDocument.aspx?docid=572&menukey=_5_2_4]

In September 2003 the Ituri brigade was in place, including soldiers from Uruguay, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, Indonesia, India and Morocco. In November 2003 a total of 10 415 peacekeepers were in the DRC, comprising infantry units, engineer units, helicopter units, logistic units, medical units and riverine units.

Deploying the Ituri brigade conducting cordon and search operations improved the security conditions in Ituri, but at the same time the peacekeepers became the target of the militias. On February 12, 2004 a military observer was killed in Ituri.

With the arrival of the transitional Government which included members of rebel movements, more than 900 Tunisian and Ghanaian blue helmets contributed to the security of Kinshasa.

It was decided that the troops present in the Kivus will be assembled under the unified command of a brigade. In March the Nigerain General Sumaila Ilya took over the command of the force. In June 2004 Bukavu was occupied by the dissident general Nkunda. A military observer was killed. The 1000 MONUC troops could only protect their own installations. Demonstrations were held all over the country, forcing blue helmets to open fire on looters in Kinshasa. MONUC soldiers were again targeted by Ituri militia at the end of 2004.

Though the Secretary General had asked for an increase of 13100 soldiers, in October 2004 the Security Council by Resolution 1565, authorized a reinforcement of 5900 military personnel and defines the mandate which is still valid today. The strategic military objectives of the MONUC Force are:

* proactively contributing to the pacification and general improvement of security in the country;
* providing support for conflict resolution in politically volatile areas;
* improving border security through regional confidence-building mechanisms, such as the Joint Verification Mechanism, and effective patrolling and monitoring of the arms embargo;
* gathering and analyzing military and other information on spoilers.

The Force reached its present strength of more than 16,000 peacekeepers, split between the Western Brigade installed on the January 24, 2005 and the Eastern Division installed on the 24 February, 2005.

In February 2005 the mission deplores the deaths of 9 Bangladeshi blue helmets killed during an ambush in Ituri. The actions of the Ituri and Kivu Brigades become more robust and the pressure rises on all armed groups. Thomas Lubanga Dyilo, the leader of the Union of Congolese Patriots, and other militia leaders were arrested by Congolese authorities and imprisoned in Makala, Kinshasa. Lubanga was accused of having ordered the killing of the peacekeepers in February 2005 and of being behind continuous insecurity in the area. On 10 February 2006, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Lubanga for the war crime of "conscripting and enlisting children under the age of fifteen years and using them to participate actively in hostilities". The Congolese national authorities transferred Lubanga to ICC custody on 17 March 2006. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4815966.stm]

On March 1, 2005 a vast cordon and search operation in Ituri was conducted by Nepalese, Pakistani and South African Infantry elements with the support of Indian attack helicopters, between 50 and 60 militiamen were killed.

Senegalese General Babacar Gaye was appointed force commander in March 2005.

In May 2005 the U.N. Secretary General asked for a supplementary brigade for Katanga. Joint operations were conducted by the newly arrived integrated brigades of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC). Blue helmets were tasked with the support of the electoral process, contributing protection and transport. In Ituri over 15000 militiamen were disarmed.

In October 2005 by Resolution 1635, the U.N. Security Council authorized a temporary increase of 300 military personnel to permit a deployment to Katanga. [http://www.monuc.org/News.aspx?newsId=9564]

On April 25, 2006, the U.N. Security Council adopted Resolution 1671, authorising the temporary deployment of a European Union force to support MONUC during the period encompassing the general elections in the DR Congo, which began on July 30, 2006.

The European Council approved the launching of the EU military operation and appointed Lieutenant General Karlheinz Viereck (Germany) Operation Commander and Major General Christian Damay (France) EU Force Commander. The Operational Headquarters was the German-nominated Armed Forces Operational Command - Einsatzführungskommando - at Potsdam, Germany. [COUNCIL JOINT ACTION 2006/319/CFSPof 27 April 2006 on the European Union military operation in support of the UN Mission in the Congo] The mission was tasked with:

* supporting and providing security to MONUC installations and personnel;
* contributing to airport protection in Kinshasa;
* contributing to the protection of civilians under imminent threat of physical violence;
* evacuation operations in case of emergency.

This mission came to an end on November 30, 2006. [ [http://www.consilium.europa.eu/cms3_fo/showPage.asp?id=1091&lang=EN&mode=g EUFOR RD Congo] , Council of the European Union, accessed 13 January 2007]

Force numbers and fatalities

In July 2004 there were 10,531 UN soldiers under MONUC's command. On October 1, 2004, the UN Security Council decided to deploy 5,900 more soldiers to Congo, although UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan had asked for some 12,000.

On 25 February 2005, nine Bangladeshi peacekeepers were killed by members of the Nationalist and Integrationist Front militia in Ituri province. The FNI killed another Nepali peacekeeper and took seven captive in May 2006. Two of the seven were released in late June and the UN was trying to secure the release of the remaining five. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/5119918.stm "Two DR Congo peacekeepers freed"] , "BBC", 27 June 2006] By November 2005, MONUC consisted of 16,561 uniformed troops. MONUC's mandate has been extended to September 30, 2006. On July 30, 2006, MONUC forces were charged with keeping the 2006 general election —the first multiparty election in the DRC since 1960— peaceful and orderly. MONUC troops began patrolling areas of eastern DRC after armed clashes broke on August 5 following the chaotic collection of election results.

Total strength, on 31 October, 2007 was 18,407 uniformed personnel, including 16,661 troops, 735 military observers, 1,011 police, who were supported by 931 international civilian personnel, 2,062 local civilian staff and 585 United Nations Volunteers.

The UN has recorded a total of 116 fatalities among MONUC personnel, up to the end of 2007, as follows: 76 military personnel, 9 military observers, 2 UN police, 10 international civilian, and 19 local civilian.

ector HQs

*MONUC HQ: Kinshasa
*Sector 1: Mbandaka
*Sector 2 and Eastern Division HQ: Kisangani
*Sector 3: Kananga
*Sector 4: Kalemie
*Sector 5: Kindu
*Sector 6: Bunia

taff and forces

As of 31 October, 2007 MONUC had a total of 18,407 uniformed personnel, including 16,661 troops, 735 military observers, 1,011 police, who were supported by 931 international civilian personnel, 2,062 local civilian staff and 585 United Nations Volunteers. Major troop contributors are Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Nepal, South Africa and Uruguay (nearly 10,000).
*Special Representative of the Secretary-General: Alan Doss (UK)
*Deputy Special Representatives of the Secretary-General: Ross Mountain (NZ) and Bacre Waly Ndiaye (SEN)
*Force Commander: Lieutenant General Babacar Gaye (SEN)
*Police Commissioner: Daniel Cure (FRA)

Civilians

International civilian employees and volunteers, and DRC nationals: 2,636
*International Employees: 816
*United Nations Volunteers: 482
*DRC nationals: 1,338

Abuses

The BBC alleges that in 2005, the Pakistani MONUC peacekeepers in Mongbwalu entered in a trading relationship for gold with Nationalist and Integrationist Front militia leaders, eventually drawing Congolese army officers and Indian traders from Kenya into the deal. It is further alleged that these peacekeepers returned weapons taken from the FNI as part of demobilization efforts to FNI leaders known for human rights violations. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6681457.stm "UN troops 'traded gold for guns'"] by Martin Plaut, "BBC News", 22 May 2007]

Africa Confidential reported in May 2008 that Indian Army UN MONUC troops had had six of 44 allegations of improper relations with the FDLR. [Pointers: Congo-Kinshasa: Under Cover, Africa Confidential, 9 May 2008, Vol. 49, No.10, p.12] These six were: using a UN helicopter to fly into Virunga National Park to swap ammunition for ivory with rebels; fraternising with the FDLR and failing to seize its weapons; exchanging UN rations for dollars and gold; buying marijuana from the FDLR; failing to support FDLR disarmament; and arresting an FDLR rebel after he had supplied counterfeit gold to the Indian troops, and abusing him until the money was returned. The source of the allegations was reported as internal United Nations Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) documents.

See also

* Second Congo War
* Ituri conflict

References

* Tim Butcher: "Blood River - A Journey To Africa's Broken Heart", 2007. ISBN 0-701-17981-3

External links

* [http://www.monuc.org Official site]
* [http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/monuc UN MONUC site]