Peace and security experts have said that a renewed mandate of the United Nations Stabilisation Mission in DR Congo (Monusco) will not make a difference in protecting civilians in eastern Congo against insecurity caused by armed militias such as the FDLR.

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC), on Thursday, voted to extend the mandate of Monusco and its Intervention Brigade until March 31, next year, saying the situation in DR Congo continues to constitute a threat to international peace and security in the Great Lakes region.

The UNSC tasked Monusco to continue actions that include the fight against FDLR, a Rwandan militia made up of remnants  of genocidaires who committed the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, as well as other armed groups such as the Ugandan rebel outfits, ADF and LRA.

Monusco, especially its Intervention Brigade, is supposed to be fighting FDLR since the latter failed to voluntarily disarm by January 2, a deadline set by Heads of State of the Great Lakes region and backed by UNSC.

But Monusco is yet to launch offensive against FDLR and local experts are worried that the mission is still not ready to fight the militia despite its renewed mandate for a year.

Dr Alice Karekezi, a lecturer and researcher at the University of Rwanda’s Centre for Conflict Management, said it remains unclear how the extension will assist in attaining Monusco’s objective to disarm armed groups.

"The extension provides no indication about how the long awaited anti-FDLR campaign will materialise. This is highly problematic from the point of view of the responsibility to protect that Monusco bears,” she told The New Times.

Among its decisions on Thursday, the UNSC endorsed the UN Secretary General’s recommendation to reduce the Monusco force by 2,000 troops, while maintaining an authorised troop ceiling of 19,815 military personnel, 760 military observers and staff officers, 391 police personnel, and 1,050 personnel of formed police units.

As it asked Monusco to fight negative forces in DR Congo, the Council also demanded that the FDLR, ADF, LRA, and all other armed groups "cease immediately all forms of violence and other destabilising activities, including the exploitation of natural resources, and that their members immediately and permanently disband, lay down their arms and release children from their ranks.”

No hope of flushing out FDLR

Zeno Mutimura, the chairperson of the parliamentary Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and Security, said there is no hope that Monusco will fight FDLR or for the latter to voluntarily disarm.

He said Monusco has done nothing since arriving in DR Congo and recommended that joint forces between regional countries’ armies and the Congolese army can do better in fighting the militia.

"‘Umoja Wetu’ is better than the idea that Monusco will do anything. The biggest threat of FDLR is the spread of genocide ideology, we have to deal with that, we should take responsibility of our own issues,” Mutimura said.

Umoja Wetu, which means ‘Our Unity’, refers to joint military offensive against the FDLR which was conducted by the Rwandan army and the Congolese army in 2009.

While Monusco has refused to join the Congolese army in its operations against FDLR over a dispute surrounding two Congolese generals involved in the operations, UNSC called on Kinshasa to intensify its military action in accordance with international law, including international human rights law.

The Security Council said Monusco can support the Congolese army in line with its mandate to end the threat posed by the ADF and all other armed groups operating in eastern DR Congo.

Aloys Mahwa, the executive director of the Interdisciplinary Genocide Studies Centre in Kigali, said Monusco is likely to face international pressure asking it to fight armed groups in the next one year of its mandate.

It seems that, Mahwa said, people will continue to ask questions why people should continue to die in eastern DR Congo when Monusco is on the ground.

"It will be an intense year because Monusco will have to show that they are fighting the armed groups. There is need for a strong monitoring and evaluation of Monusco’s achievements in terms of fighting armed groups. It seems that they are not doing a lot,” Mahwa said.

However, Monusco is likely to stay in DR Congo a little longer than just the one year extension given that the UNSC stressed that the Mission’s exit should be gradual and progressive, tied to specific targets to be jointly developed by the Government of DR Congo and Monusco, in consultation with the UN Country Team and other stakeholders.

Established in 2000, Monusco costs a staggering $1 billion annually.