Democratic Republic of Congo
Table des matières
1. Latest developments at the Security Council 
On 8 May 2013 and as a follow-up to the 7 May attack against a MONUSCO military convoy, the Security Council met in closed consultations to hear Mr Edmond Mulet, Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, on the situation of the stabilization force.
The French Representative called to reinforce the safety of MONUSCO’s staff and contingents. He presented a press statement, prepared in close cooperation with the Pakistani delegation, condemning the attack.
Adopted at the end of the consultations, the press statement also called upon the Congolese government to investigate the incident and bring its perpetrators to justice.
On 6 May 2013, during her first briefing to the Security Council as Secretary-General Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region, Ms Mary Robinson reported her first mediation efforts in the conflict in Eastern DRC. As a renewed opportunity to address the root causes of the conflict, the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework had to be implemented by all parties, including leaders of the region and representatives of the civil society.
During the following consultations, the representative of France called upon the DRC government to urgently undertake security sector reforms and extend the State authority in Eastern DRC, given that the Intervention Brigade within MONUSCO had only a dissuasion role.
The complete timeline of events here.
2. Context
The UN Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO)
MONUSCO is now, with the hybrid UN-AU mission in Darfur, the largest UN peacekeeping operation currently deployed, with a force of around 20,000, including approximately 1000 police officers and 1500 civilians.
MONUC was renamed MONUSCO (United Nations Organisation Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo), pursuant to resolution 1925 of 28 May 2010.
In this resolution, the Council, recognizing the changes in the DRC in the last 10 years, decided to change the name of the mission as of 1 July 2010 : UN Stabilization Mission in the Congo, MONUSCO. The Council authorized the withdrawal of up to 2000 troops by 30 June 2010, and set up a process of regular dialogue with the Congolese authorities to assess the situation on the ground.
The protection of civilians remains the top priority of the mandate. The second pillar focusses on stabilization and peace consolidation. MONUSCO helps the government to reform the army, police and justice as well as provide support to the consolidation of state authority in areas affected by conflict. MONUSCO has a mandate to pursue technical and logistical support to Congolese authorities for the preparation of elections.
Mr. Robert Meece, a US national, has been Special Representative of the Secretary General to the Mission since 1 July 2010. He succeeded Mr. Alan Doss, a British national, who held the post since 2007.
Resolution 2053 renewed the mandate of MONUSCO until 30 June 2013.
The former MONUC force was kept on after the transition was completed in 2006 to help the new democratically elected authorities consolidate security throughout the country and strengthen the new institutions and the rule of law.
resolution 1856 (2008) made the protection of civilians in eastern DRC a priority for the United Nations force.
Under resolution 1856, MONUC was also charged with:
— promoting the implementation of the Goma process (known as the “Act of Engagement,” signed on 23 January 2008 for an immediate ceasefire in the northern provinces and in South Kivu)
— promoting the implementation of the Nairobi process (known as the “Common Approach,” adopted on 7 November 2007 by Rwanda and the DRC, for peace and stability in the two countries and in the Great Lakes Region)
— cooperating with the Congolese armed forces to achieve the demobilization, disarmament and reintegration of combatants in Congolese or foreign armed groups.
The sanctions regime
The Security Council applies a sanctions regime (arms embargo against non-state groups and individual sanctions). A sanctions committee was created to that end in 2004 (resolution 1533). These measures aim to support the disarmament process of irregular combatants, the reform of the security sector and the consolidation of state authority across the DRC’s entire territory. The measures were extended till November 2011 by resolution 1952 of 29 November 2010.
There are several criteria for sanctions: the violation of arms embargo (which applies only to rebel groups), the recruitment of children, serious violations of human rights, the prevention of a process of demobilization and disarmament, the hindrance of distribution of humanitarian aid, illegal exploitation of DRC’s natural resources to finance armed groups (criteria defined in resolution 1857 and reiterated in resolution 1952).
The implementation of a regional dialogue
Mr. Olusegun Obasanjo, former President of Nigeria, was appointed in November 2008 Special Envoy of the Secretary General for the Great Lakes region, to facilitate dialogue between the different States in the region, particularly between the DRC and Rwanda. Along with co-facilitator - former Tanzanian President - Benjamin M’Kapa, he helped broker the Goma agreement of 23 March 2009 between the Congolese authorities and Congolese and non-Congolese armed groups in eastern Congo. He has also contributed to the rapprochement between Kigali and Kinshasa, which resulted in the meeting between Presidents Kabila and Kagame on 6 August 2009 and the restoration of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Visits to the DRC by the Security Council
Members of the Security Council travelled to Kinshasa on 14 and 15 May 2010, with France as leader of the mission. They met with President Kabila and his governement as well as representatives of the civil society and MONUC to discuss the future of MONUC. On 19 May 2010, Ambassador Araud presented the results of the mission to the Security Council and made remarks to the press following the briefing. On 13 April 2010, the Permanent Representative of France presented the trip to the press (the trip, originally scheduled for 17-20 April, had to be cancelled because of air travel cancellations).
From 14 to 21 May 2009, members of the Security Council also traveled to the DRC as part of a trip to Africa (Ethiopia, Rwanda, DRC, Liberia). France led the DRC segment of the trip. A comprehensive report was released by the Security Council.
France’s and the European Union’s support to operations
France plays a key role within the Security Council with regard to the issue of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), motivated by the conviction that the stability and development of this country are critical for the Great Lakes region. France maintains close bilateral relations with the DRC: French President Nicolas Sarkozy visited the country in March 2009 as did Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Bernard Kouchner in January 2010.
France supported the two European operations that provided backup to MONUC at critical times during the transition process in the DRC which took place between 2003 and 2006:
— Operation ARTEMIS, authorized under resolution 1484 (2003) and Operation EUFOR DRC authorized under resolution 1671 (2006). Operation Artemis was carried out in Ituri between June and August 2003 and was the first EU-led military operation in Africa (France was the framework nation).
— The EU also decided, at the request of the United Nations, to deploy a EUFOR mission, from July to December 2006, in support of MONUC to secure elections. France and Germany contributed the most to this force.
The EU currently operates through two missions, EUPOL and EUSEC, to support security sector reform, especially in the police and army.
Violations of Human Rights and international humanitarian law
— Civilians are often the victims of violations of human rights, particularly women who are regularly subject to mass rapes.
The Security Council held a meeting at the request of France and the United States to hear the report of the Department of Peacekeeping operations on the events which took place in August 2010 in the North Kivu, in which at least one hundred and sixty people were raped by members of the Forces Démocratiques de Libération du Rwanda (FDLR) and of the Mai Mai militias.
— On 1 October 2010, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, issued a report on violations of human rights and international humanitarian law committed in the DRC by State and non State actors, between March 1993 and June 2003.
This report was the final step of a long process led by the United Nations since the discovery in 2005 by MONUC of three mass graves in the East. This mapping project was authorized by resolution 1794 of the Security Council in December 2007, calling on the Congolese authorities to support the initiative.
The report listed hundreds of thousands of murders, mutilations, looting and other forms of violence, including those directed against women (sexual violence) and children (child soldiers). The majority of these acts could constitute war crimes or crimes against humanity. The report stated that the classification of certain acts of violence against Hutus in 1996 and 1997 as "genocide" could be decided by a competent court.
(May 2013)
3. French statements
28 March 2013- DRC - Remarks to the press by Mr Gérard Araud, Permanent Representative of France to the United Nations
28 March 2013 - Security Council - DRC - Statement by Mr Gérard Araud, Permanent Representative of France to the United Nations
27 March 2013 - DRC - Remarks to the press by M. Gérard Araud, Permanent Representative of France to the United
19 November 2012 - Security Council - DRC - Remarks to the press by Mr Gérard Araud, Permanent Representative of France to the United Nations
17 November 2012 - Security Council - DRC - Remarks to the press by Mr Gérard Araud, Permanent Representative of France to the United Nations
More French statements here.
4. Reference documents
8 May 2013 - Security Council - Press Statement condemning the attack on a MONUSO convoy
28 March 2013 - Security Council - Resolution 2098
22 March 2013 - Security Council - Press statement on the surrender of Bosco Ntaganda to International Criminal Court
28 November 2012 - Security Council - Resolution 2078
20 November 2012 - Security Council - Resolution 2076
17 November 2012 - Press statement by the President of the Security Council
19 October 2012 - DRC - Security Council Presidential statement
16 July 2012 - Press statement by the President of the Security Council
6 July 2012 - Press statement by the President of the Security Council
27 June 2012 - Security Council - Resolution 2053 renewing for one year the mandate of MONUSCO
14 May 2012 - Press statement by the President of the Security Council
3 May 2012 - Press statement by the President of the Security Council
29 November 2011 - Resolution 2021 - Renewing the sanctions regime
17 October 2011 - Press statement by the President of the Security Council
28 June 2011 - Resolution 1991 renewing the mandate of MONUSCO for one year.
27 May 2011 - Arrest of Bernard Munyagishari in DRC - Remarks to the press by Mr Gérard Araud, President of the Security Council
18 May 2011 - Presidential statement by the President of the Security Council
29 november 2010 - Resolution 1952 - Renewing the sanctions regime
17 September 2010 - 30 September 2009 - DRC (mass rapes)- Statement by the President of the Security Council
28 May 2010 - Resolution 1925 - Renewing the mandate of MONUC until 30 June 2011
13-16 May 2010 - Report of the Security Council mission to the Democratic Republic of the Congo
23 December 2009 - Resolution 1906 - Extending the deployment of MONUC
7 December 2009 - Resolution 1896 - Renewing the sanctions regime
11 June 2009 - Report of the Security Council mission to the African Union; Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo; and Liberia
22 December 2008 - Resolution 1857 - On renewal of measures on arms embargo against all non-governmental entities and individuals operating in the DRC
22 December 2008 - Resolution 1856 - Extending the deployment of MONUC
20 November 2008 - Resolution 1843 - Increasing temporarily MONUC’s authorized military strenght
21 October 2008 - Statement by the President of the Security Council - Expressing the Security Council’s grave concern at the resurgence of violence
5. Useful links
View the file on UN-DRC relations on the French Foreign Ministry’s website
Visit MONUC’s official website and MONUSCO’s one
