MONUSCO

• Diverse actors have tried to stop it but conflict has intensified, particularly in the eastern provinces of North Kivu, South Kivu, Ituri and Tanganyika.
• In mid-April 2023, it was reported that there were 252 local and 14 foreign armed groups in the eastern Congolese provinces.
• Weakened by decades of kleptocratic rule and armed uprisings, the Congolese state relies on support from regional and global actors.
• It’s making the M23 rebel movement the single convenient target of its actions, instead of resolving its deeper and broader problems.

Disrupting the peacekeepers

• The force would, in collaboration with Congolese military and administrative authorities, stabilise and secure the peace in DRC.
• The idea was to reduce tensions by enforcing a ceasefire and a withdrawal of armed groups to initial positions.
• Local armed groups would be demobilised in an orderly way through a political process involving talks with Congolese authorities.
• All domestic and regional armed groups active in eastern DRC would be disarmed and the emphasis was on dialogue.

Towards sustainable peace

• Congolese authorities have criticised the East African force and the UN mission for their unwillingness to fight the M23.
• It’s impossible to imagine scenarios where sustainable peace can be achieved without first addressing land rights, equal citizenship claims and inclusive governance institutions catering to the needs of the entire Congolese population.
• Peace between peoples and countries in the region requires a genuine commitment to addressing all local, regional and international dimensions of the crises in eastern DRC.