Emmanuel Macron arrived Friday evening in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The east of the country has been at war for nearly three decades and the humanitarian situation has only deteriorated in recent months. A delegation from the United Nations mission in the DRC, Monusco, went there.
In these regions of the Democratic Republic of the Congo which border Uganda and Rwanda, the least that can be said is that the situation is complicated. First of all because we are not talking about a conflict, but about conflicts in the plural. And has been for nearly 30 years. Codeco, Zaire militias, ADF, M23… These names may mean nothing to you, but they are the most important of the armed groups which, each in their own way, are destabilizing the area.
We met Marie in the town of Bunia, capital of Ituri province. She and her family fled in 2019 because of the Cooperative for the Development of Congo (Codeco), which on the day of the attack on the village of Marie, deprived her of the use of her arms for life with a blow of machete. “It was the Lendus, from Codeco, who came to cut us with machetessays Mary. They killed us with guns. All this happened in my village.”
“Today, I regret my life before. I no longer have arms and I am dependent on others.”
Marie, Congoleseat franceinfo
A little further south, in North Kivu, another armed group, another context, the same reality for Hélène, 22, who took refuge near the city of Goma, the capital of the province which remains secure. “The problems are the famine that bothers us, and the other needs that persist in our camp”says Hélène. In total, in the two areas we visited, more than two million people have fled their homes and are now living in deplorable conditions.
“Monusco brings us war”
The United Nations peacekeeping mission, called Monusco, is struggling. You should know that it is one of the oldest missions of this type. Created in 1999, it was then called MONUC, it now has nearly 14,000 blue helmets who are almost exclusively posted in the east of the country. And, despite its mandate to protect civilians, despite the fact that it is under Chapter VII, which therefore allows it to mount joint operations with the national army and attack the enemy, the situation is only getting worse. ‘to get worse. “Monusco came here to bring us peace. But here, on the contrary, we see Monusco as the people who bring us war”explains Hélène.
“The presence of Monusco does not help us in our country. Look, I am not at home, so peace is not here.”
Hélène, Congoleseat franceinfo
In fact, the different communities criticize the passivity of the mission. This is the case, for example, of Jean-Marie Mushuganya, president of a cultural association in Goma: “After many years of mission, we must recognize that it is a failure, and they recognize it. And I am not surprised to see young people demonstrating against Monusco.” Same story for lawyer and human rights defender Jackson Kisenga, in Bunia: “Since Monusco has been there, 20 years later. And we believe that if Monusco leaves, the government will take responsibility and stop hiding.”
This resentment is not new. Only, it reached a peak in July 2022. During several demonstrations across different eastern cities, 32 people were killed in the clashes and four blue helmets lost their lives. This therefore prevents Monusco from circulating, and from ensuring its mandate in certain areas.
“The responsibility remains with our government”
Bintou Keïta, head of Monusco, obviously regrets all this. And she admits that one of the objectives of her trip to the east was to renew the dialogue with civil society. “The anti-Monusco feeling, we have to go aheadsays the head of Monusco. All stakeholders must be engaged: young people, women, civil society in the broad sense. It is a commitment that makes it possible to initiate a dialogue that is as authentic as possible and as true as possible.”
“We are here to serve. Because giving up would only amplify the feeling of invisibility and non-listening that they already have.”
Bintou Keïta, head of Monuscoat franceinfo
But, for Jean-Marie Mushuganya, Monusco is not solely responsible for the deterioration of the situation: “You have to recognize that there are challenges. Especially on the government side, because you have to recognize that the responsibility remains with our government.” Especially since relations with the government are not in good shape. On July 1, 2022, Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi asked Monusco to pack up by 2023-2024, the day after the presidential election.