Legal Journals

More Peacekeepers Necessary in Congo

By jlee

The top UN envoy in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has asked for an increase in the number of peacekeepers in the country (in addition to the 19,000 already there), expressing alarm about the renewal of hostilities in the eastern provinces. Alan Doss, Special Representative for the DRC, expressed concern that the Congo may plunge back into a civil war, pinpointing the provinces of North Kivu, where ethnic tensions have risen, and Orientale, where Ugandan rebel armies have launched attacks.  While granting that the peacebuilding budget is limited and that the peacekeeping mission in the DRC (MONUC) needs to maximize its current resources, Mr. Doss stressed that armed groups must be dealt with, if the rule of law is not to give way to ?the rule of gun.?

MONUC was set up in 1999 to help enforce the ceasefire of the civil war and restore peace and stability. Since then, the UN has helped to organize elections and maintain relative calm.

For further information, please click here.

Full post as published by Harvard International Law Journal Digest on October 08, 2008 (boomark / email).