United Nations Peace Keeping Mission in Congo and Congolese Tragedy
Stellor Nlandu Khodo, PhD Agenda
I. “Democratic”Republic of The Congo (DRC) II. UN peace keeping mission III. Congolese tragedy IV. Perspectives Facts!
More than 6 millions have died since 1996
Peter Moszynski, 2008 I. Democratic Republic Of The Congo
Kinshasa, October 30th 1974 I. Democratic Republic Of The Congo I. Democratic Republic Of The Congo
• Area (905,354 sq miles) • One-fourth the size of US • Population (79 millions) • Languages (French and 4 national languages) • 9 Bordering countries (Great Lake Region)
Congo-Brazzaville, Central African Republic, Sudan, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi , Tanzania, Zambia and Angola I. Democratic Republic Of The Congo 60% Cobalt 10% Copper 100% Radium 50% Uranium 70% Coltan Bonobo
Carbon Sink Okapi
A geological scandal!!!!!! I. Democratic Republic Of The Congo A Brief History of DRC
UN mission Belgium colony Mobutu 2nd War
1881-1885 1908 1960 1965 1996/97 2001
Scramble Independence 1st War for Africa
UN mission I.1. Berlin Conference (1884-1885)
• Regulate European colonization and trade in Africa • Congo Free State • Personal property of the King of Belgians (Leopold II)!
What does FREE mean? Why this particular STATUS? I.2. Leopold II’s Congo Free State
The Rubber-terror
Georges W. J. Conrad E.D. Morel Roger Casement Williams (1857-1924) (1873-1924) (1864-1916) (1849-1891) I.3. Belgian Colonization (1908)
• Commission of Inquiry (1905)
• Belgian colony (1908)
• Congolese Uranium
Spies in the Congo: America’s Atomic Mission in World War II I.4. Congo Independence (June 30th 1960)
• Cold war (1947-1991) • Mining interests in Congo (Uranium) • Separatist movements (Katanga) • Government collapse • First United Nations mission
Fighting the cold war in a hot zone (Larry Devlin, Chief of Station, Congo) II. UN Peace Keeping Mission in DRC
Post-independence Crisis/Separatist movements II.1. UN Operation in the Congo (ONUC) From July 1960 to June 1964 • 5 Resolutions of the Security Council • Mandate: – Phase 1: • Ensure the withdrawal of Belgian forces • Assist the Congolese government to maintain law and order • Provide technical assistance – Phase 2: • Maintain the territorial integrity and political independence • Prevent the occurrence of civil war • Secure the removal of all non-UN military, paramilitary and advisory personnel
II.1. UN Operation in the Congo (ONUC) “A misdiagnosis or dialogue of deaf!”
•Patrice Lumumba and Dag Hammerskjold •Two opponents with the same fate!
From The legacies of Hammerskjold and Lumumba, by Helen M. Hintjens and Serena Cruz II.1. UN Operation in the Congo (ONUC)
Post-independence crisis: Katangan secession
Patrice Lumumba Dag Hammerskjold Elected Prime Minister UN Secretary General (1960) (1953-1961)
•Nationalist •Liberal peace approach •Get rid of Belgium control •Neutrality of Katanga •Tribalism and communism •UN did not respect his threat resolution 143
•Murder of Patrice Lumumba (January 17th 1961) •Murder of Dag Hammerskjold(September 18th 1961) II.1. UN Operation in the Congo (ONUC)
Termination Reintegration of Katanga (February 1963) into the national territory Continued civilian aid (from 1963 to 1964) Complete withdrawal of military forces (June 30th 1964)
II.1. UN Operation in the Congo (ONUC)
Facts Strength: 19,828 all ranks (maximum July 1961) Contributors: 30 countries Fatalities: - 245 military personnel and 5 international civilian staff Expenditures: $400.1 millions
II.1. UN Operation in the Congo (ONUC) Positive Negative
Restoration of peace Maintenance of national territory integrity Economic control Proxy government II. UN Peace Keeping Mission in DRC
Fighting the cold war in a hot zone (Larry Devlin, Chief of Station, Congo) II.2. UN Mission in Congo (MONUC) “Contract compliance issue”
L.D. Kabila President of Congo P. Kagame Y. Museveni (1997-2001) Rwanda Uganda •Occupation war and mass-scale looting •Lusaka Ceasefire Agreement (July 1999)
II.2. UN Mission in Congo (MONUC) From November 1999 to June 2010 • 5 Resolutions of the Security Council • Mandate: …Based on Lusaka Ceasefire Agreement (July 1999) between DRC and 5 regional States – Observe the application of Ceasefire Agreement – Supervise and Verify forces disengagement – Maintain liaison with all parties to the Ceasefire Agreement till July 30th 2006 II.2. UN Mission in Congo (MONUC)
Termination: New phase reached! Organization of election (2006), UN did not prolong MONUC’s initial mandate, scheduled to end in 2008 Stabilize the peacekeeping process II.2. UN Mission in Congo (MONUC)
Facts Strength: 22,016 uniformed personnel (maximum July 2007) Contributors: 67 countries Fatalities: 161 (UN personnel) Expenditures: $8.73 billions
II.2. UN Mission in Congo (MONUC)
th January 16 2001
More than 6 millions death toll Millions of displaced peoples Mass-scale looting of minerals Child soldiers and workers Rape as war weapon (47 women/hour)!
International Rescue Committee (IRC) Peter Moszynski, 2008 II.3. UN Mission for the Stabilization in Congo (MONUSCO) From July 2010 to present • 5 Resolutions of the Security Council • Mandate: – Complete the ongoing military conflict (Nord Kivu, South Kivu and Oriental Province) – Improve government capacity to protect the population – Consolidate State Authority throughout the territory
II.3. UN Mission for the Stabilization in Congo (MONUSCO) Facts Strength: 21,025 uniformed personnel (maximum July 2007) Contributors: 67 countries Fatalities: 121 (UN personnel) Expenditures (2017-2018): $1.142 billion
II.3. UN Mission for the Stabilization in Congo (MONUSCO)
UN officer sexual abuses
UN complicity in illegal mining
Murder of UN experts (March 12th 2017) II.3. UN Mission for the Stabilization in Congo (MONUSCO) Lack of transparency...
Catalan, Sharp, Sweden USA
• Congolese government and MONUSCO agreement
• Possible involvement of Congolese Intelligence Services (Reuters and RFI) III. Congolese Tragedy
“Is UN inadequate or Ostrich-like approach? III.1. Communism threat or scape goat?
Private US mining Interest (in 1960): •Douglas Dillon ($15 million loan for Investment in Katanga) •Robert Murphy ($20 millions loan through Morgan Guaranty Trust/Société Générale) •Thomas Gates (Drexel and Co, and Morgan Guaranty Trust) •William Burden (American Metal Climax) •Etc… From The legacies of Hammerskjold and Lumumba, by Helen M. Hintjens and Serena Cruz From Why did the US want to kill prime minister Lumumba, by LTC ROGER T.HOUSEN, ARMY III.2. Absence of State Authority
Out law! III. 3. Mining Interest Tragedy
Up to 29 rebel groups operated in the East of Congo III. 3. Mining Interest Tragedy
Glencore
Up to 29 rebel groups operated in the East of Congo III. 3. Mining Interest Tragedy
Mass-scale looting and Child forced labor! III. 3. Mining Interest Tragedy
Mass-scale looting!
United Nations, Security Council April 12th 2001 III. 3. Mining Interest Tragedy
Mass-scale looting!
United Nations, Security Council April 12th 2001 III. 3. Mining Interest Tragedy
Multi-nationals
Proxy governments (Congo, Rwanda, Uganda and South Africa
Rebel groups (Congo, Rwanda and Uganda)
Congolese minerals III. 3. Mining Interest Tragedy Routes of conflict minerals from DRC
III. 4. Failure of International Policies •Rape capital of the world (47 women/hour), UN 2009 •The Evil in its basest form (Hillary Clinton, Secretary of State) •An Economic war in Women’s bodies (CNN, 2018) III. 4. Failure of International Policies
This report namely cited Rwanda and Uganda in the destabilization of DRCongo…. NO sanctions against Rwanda and Uganda? Lieutenant-General Derrick M. Mgwebi MONUSCO’s Commander in chief
“The solution to the Congolese crisis is not Military, but Political”
“The security instability in several DRC provinces is the work of some politicians in one way or another” “Armed conflicts are fueled by Political conflicts” IV. Perspectives
What should Congolese do? IV. Perspectives
Congolese responsibility International Solidarity A new Congo with a new paradigm is still possible!
Though joint efforts of UN prevented many disasters in the world IV. Perspectives
Cordell Hull Nobel Peace Price Acceptance Speech, Dec. 10th 1945
“There is no greater responsibility resting upon Peoples and governments everywhere than to make sure that enduring peace will this time-at long last, be established and maintained.”
If you are concerned by Human right violations, Child soldiers, Forced labor, Gender-based violence, Rape, Animal mistreatment, Global warming… If you use Smartphone, Micro-electronics, Gold, Diamond…
You should be concerned by the Congolese tragedy Ben Affleck, East Congo Robin Wright Thanks
Wagenia Fishing Technique Dr. Galen Hull Kisangani (Dem. Rep. of Congo) Thank you for your attention!!! Dag Hammarskjorld (1905-1961)
• President J.F Kennedy regretted opposing the UN policy in Congo and said: “I realize now that in comparison to him, I am a small man” He was the greatest statesman of our century”. • Hammarskjorld is one of the greatest UN Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjorld (1905-1961)
• UN Secretary-General (April 1953 to September 1961) • Death in a plane crash while resolving the Congolese crisis at Ndola (Zambia) • The circumstances of his still under investigations (possibility of murder) • The only UN Secretary-General to die while in office • Posthumous Nobel Prize (1961)
III. 2. Mining Interest wars
Mass-scale looting! United Nations, Security Council April 12th 2001 III. 2. Mining Interest wars
Mass-scale looting! United Nations, Security Council April 12th 2001 III. 2. Mining Interest War
Mass-scale looting! United Nations, Security Council April 12th 2001 Ben Affleck and Former Secretary of State “Congo tragedy”