Hard times for UN Peacekeeping in West and Central Africa: Tom McDermott / 20 Minutes

UN Peacekeeping in West Africa is facing major challenges these days.  While the situation in each country is unique to the country and specific to UN Peacekeeping Missions, the politics behind those situations will soon enough affect UNICEF and all UN bodies as well as NGOs and human rights groups - in particular in Mali, CAR, and DRC . Note that in two cases, the UN missions are headed by our former UNICEF colleagues.  

There are currently four W. African countries with UN Peacekeepers:

1. West Sahara

2. Mali

3. Central African Republic (CAR)

4. Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)

1. In Western Sahara the UN Mission continues to operate in uncertain waters.  The mission was established in 1991 in order to oversee preparations for a referendum on the permanent status of the territory, basically a choice between independence and integration into Morocco. Since then objections over who would be eligible to vote have rendered plans for a referendum effectively dead.

Our former colleague and current UN envoy, Staffan De Mistura, had been scheduled  to visit both Rabat and two cities in Western Sahara earlier in July.  In the end, he left having visited only Rabat.  According to Algerian claims, he cancelled his plans to visit disputed areas in the south when told that he could only meet with representatives selected by the Moroccan government.  The current resolution under which the UN mission operates will expire in October 2022.  There is little certainty that the mandate can be further extended at that time.

2. Mali - Following a recent decision by the Security Council to review the mandate of UN Peacekeepers in Mali, the ruling junta announced that it would block any rotation of troops in the mission.  This decision followed the junta's arrest of 49 troops from Ivory Coast as part of the fifth rotation of troops, and Egypt's decision to withdraw its entire contingent.  The Egyptian decision followed the deaths of two of its troops in an IED attack.  More recently the junta ordered the expulsion of the UN Spokesperson.A major reason for the current tension is a demand by the UN to allow visits to an area where a reported massacre of the population took place carried out by Malian forces and Russian mercenaries of the Wagner Group. 

3.  CAR - UN Troops have been involved in fighting between government and rebel forces in various parts of the country. On 25 July UN Human Rights announced an investigation into serious human rights violations by a militia linked to the government, in addition to four other investigations of human rights and sexual assault charges by other militia groups. Altogether the UN Mission has documented some 436 incidents against 3,000 victims and blames the government and government linked groups for half of these. As in Mali, human rights groups blame many of these on the work of Russian mercenaries from the Wagner Group.  Both Mali and Russia deny the presence of Wagner in the country.  

4.  DRC / RDC  :  Fighting has escalated dramatically in eastern DRC in recent weeks.  Much of this is related to conflicts between the DRC and Rwanda, both of which accuse the other of backing rebel groups.  The principle group involved within the DRC is called M23.  Our former UNICEF colleague, Bintou Keita, who heads the UN Mission, warned recently that M23 was in a position to overpower both the mission and government troops and police in the area.  As indicated in the article the UN mission in Goma was overrun and looted by demonstrators calling on the UN mission to withdraw.  This followed demands by the DRC's President of the Senate that the UN "pack up and go", saying that in 22 years the mission had yet to provide stability to the area.  A similar call was issued by the ruling party's youth wing.  

RDC : Des manifestations contre une mission de l’ONU à Goma tournent au pillage

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Des soldats des forces armées de la République démocratique du Congo (FARDC) le 25 mai 2022. — AFP

Des installations de la mission des Nations unies (Monusco) à Goma dans l’est de la République démocratique du Congo ont été pillées par des manifestants en colère, dix jours après un appel du président du Sénat au départ des Casques bleus, a constaté ce lundi un correspondant.

Après avoir barricadé les grandes artères de Goma, chef-lieu de la province du Nord-Kivu, des centaines de manifestants scindés en deux groupes ont pris d’assaut le siège local de la mission onusienne ainsi que sa base logistique située hors du centre de la ville.
Pillages et casses

Au Quartier général de la Monusco, ces manifestants en colère ont brûlé des pneus et des objets en plastique devant le portail puis ont cassé le mur de la clôture.

Les manifestants ont ensuite cassé les vitres, les murs et pillé des ordinateurs, des chaises, des tables et des objets de valeur. Des agents de la Monusco présents sur le site ont été évacués à bord de deux hélicoptères.

Des scènes similaires se sont aussi produites à la base logistique de la Monusco où un élève en uniforme a été atteint à la jambe par une balle tirée de l’intérieur.
Déstabilisée depuis 30 ans

Le 15 juillet à Goma, le président du Sénat congolais Modeste Bahati avait demandé, lors d’un meeting, à la Monusco de « plier bagage » après 22 ans d’une présence qui n’a pu imposer la paix dans la partie orientale de la RDC, déstabilisée depuis près de trois décennies.

La manifestation avait été organisée à l’appel des organisations de la société civile et du parti au pouvoir, Union pour la démocratie et le progrès social. La Monusco est la plus importante mission onusienne au monde avec au moins 14.000 Casques bleus.