Disarming war, arming peace: The Congo crisis, Dag Hammarskjöld’s legacy and the future role of MONUC in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Abstract

Only recently, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) celebrated fifty years since the territory gained independence from Belgium. But the truth be told, Congo is not yet free. In more ways than are easily fathomable, the country continues to be buffeted by various reincarnations of greed and chaos-some externally driven, others internally motivated. This paper begins with a historical contextualisation of the conflicts in the DRC, before proceeding to take stock of the organisation's balance sheet thus far as it grapples with imminent peacekeeping, peacebuilding and post-conflict reconstruction challenges in the country. Successes achieved by the United Nations Organisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) (now MONUSCO, the UN Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the DRC) are then pitted against setbacks in this regard. Finally, a prognosis of the UN's future role in the territory is built

Rape in Armed Conflicts in the Democratic Republic of Congo: A Systematic Review of the Scientific Literature

“…It also exists in the heart of the army and security services, since rebel movements are not the only perpetrators of systematic rape. Furthermore, the effective contribution of the UN peacekeeping forces (since 1999 in the conflict areas) to the stabilization process and the fight against violence and rape has not yet been well studied (Wanki, 2011).…”

Institutional Responsibility for Mass Atrocity Crimes with Thomas Pogge

“…Th rough various waves of colonialism in the Congo, the country was eff ectively hollowedout of wealth and resources by creating extractive political and economic institutions. Cycles of subsistence living, abject poverty and ethnic/political violence persist today (Oder, 2011;Wanki, 2011). Similarly, the deployment of 'divide and rule politics' by Britain during the colonization of Sudan, imposed a north-south religious segregation, and enfl amed ethnic divisions, particularly so in light of a disproportionate level of development allocated to Northern Sudan.…”