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Democratic Republic of the Congo

Expected Council Action
The Council is expected to visit the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) as part of its trip to Africa, at press time scheduled from 14 to 21 May. There was no Council meeting scheduled at press time. But the DRC Sanctions Committee is expected to consider the interim report of the Group of Experts due on 15 May. (The DRC sanctions regime and the mandate of the UN Organisation Mission in the DRC (MONUC) expire on 30 November and 31 December respectively.)

Key Recent Developments
On 9 April the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for the DRC, Alan Doss, presented the latest report of the Secretary-General to the Council. Doss said that significant security changes in eastern DRC had resulted from the decision by the rebel Congrès national pour la défense du peuple (CNDP) and other armed groups to end the conflict in eastern DRC. Improved relations between the DRC and Rwanda had also been a major contribution.

Doss noted that security challenges persisted. Other rebel groups continued to wreak havoc in the northeastern region. This stemmed from the reprisal attacks by the rebel Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), and attacks in eastern DRC by the Rwandan Hutu rebel group known as the Forces Démocratiques de Libération du Rwanda (FDLR). Another major challenge facing DRC and MONUC was integrating former rebels and militiamen into Congolese government forces.

Doss informed the Council about operations Kimia II and Rudia II, involving MONUC’s logistical and material assistance to Congolese government forces fighting the FDLR and the LRA. He also updated the Council on the efforts by the DRC Independent Electoral Commission to update the voter register required for the local elections by June. (The Secretary-General’s report had indicated that it would be difficult to delay the local elections. If they were not held in 2009, the alternative of conducting joint national and local elections in 2011 was not “operationally feasible,” the report said.)

Following the briefing by Doss, the Council issued a press statement:

• commending the improvement of relations among the countries in the region;
• encouraging their continued cooperation;
• warning that operations against illegal armed groups should be planned jointly with MONUC; and
• welcoming the announcement on 23 March of the agreement reached between the Congolese government and the CNDP.

The statement also stressed the importance of security sector reform. The Council also supported joint operations by Congolese government forces and MONUC against the FDLR, the LRA and other armed groups and welcomed progress achieved in the disarmament, demobilisation, repatriation, resettlement and reintegration programme. It also looked forward to the organisation of transparent local elections.

The Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, Radhika Coomaraswamy, visited DRC from 14 to 21 April to assess the situation of children in the eastern conflict areas. Her visit focused on child recruitment by armed groups, sexual violence against children and impunity for violations of the rights of children. She met with DRC’s defence minister and army generals and received commitments from government forces and armed groups for the release of children and their reintegration into their communities. She reported ongoing concern that many child soldiers were being passed into the ranks of the newly integrated brigades of the government forces. Her meeting with commanders of integrated Mai Mai militias in Masisi resulted in the immediate release of four children. Since January, about 1,300 child soldiers have been demobilised from various armed groups in the province of North Kivu.

Key Issues
During its visit to the DRC, in addition to the overall issue of the implementation of MONUC’s mandate, the Council is likely to focus on ways to keep up the momentum in the rapprochement between the DRC and Rwanda. Other key issues are likely to be the preparations for the next elections, concerns about sexual violence and impunity and the issue of demobilisation, disarming and reintegration of combatants.

Another issue is whether the Council will put additional political weight behind UN efforts to generate additional capacities authorised by the Council in November 2008 to reinforce the rapid reaction capacity of MONUC to protect civilians. Doss had underlined the importance of the additional capacities during his 9 April briefing to the Council and said that none had yet arrived in the DRC.

The key focus for the DRC Sanctions Committee will be the current state of implementation of the sanctions regime. Illegal exploitation of natural resources and arms trafficking remain crucial elements fuelling the instability in DRC.

Options
Options for the Council in May include:

• encouraging the DRC’s government to adhere to the peace process during its visit to the country in May, including through collaboration with the work of MONUC, organising local elections soon and improving mutual cooperation with neighbouring countries, particularly Rwanda and Uganda. The Council may also express concern about the protection of civilians, an end to impunity and possible Council sanctions against those deemed culpable;
• the Sanctions Committee adding new names of individuals and entities impeding the peace process to its sanctions list, in accordance with resolution 1857 (which renewed the sanctions regime in December); and
• issuing a statement encouraging member states to provide the additional capacities (especially additional aircraft and helicopters) required by MONUC as a matter of urgency (at press time no additional troops and capacities authorised by the Council in November were on the ground).

Council Dynamics
Council members appear to be taking a low key attitude on the DRC. France takes the lead and tries to keep up the momentum but even with the scheduled visit, there seems to be a sense of a DRC fatigue. This is most marked in the Sanctions Committee, which has been very slow in developing lists of individuals to be targeted with sanctions.

Council members seem content to monitor developments regarding the FDLR and LRA. It remains to be seen if the upcoming Council visit to the DRC will stimulate new enthusiasm.

Underlying Problems
The key challenges include weak state institutions, the illicit flow of arms, the continued presence of illegal armed groups and formidable socioeconomic challenges which greatly impede efforts of peacebuilding.

Other Relevant Facts

Full forecast

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