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DRC: North and South Kivu, ultimate test …

By on March 23, 2010
The UN Mission in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) – nearly 20 000 soldiers- has planned an initial start-up withdrawal phase of its troops by the end of June 2010.
Thus, 2000 troops based in the west, central and south-east should leave the DRC in the coming months, if the Security Council comes to the decision of a total withdrawal by the year of 2011; thus giving a positive answer to Kinshasa’s will.

In the second phase of the scenario, 9000 more soldiers would be withdrawn, by the end of 2010, from the Northeastern Province, North and South Kivu. These areas are still unstable due to the presence of several armed groups, including the Hutu rebel Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR). Currently 95% of MONUC troops are concentrated in these three provinces, with so explosive and unpredictable inter-ethnicity tensions, that can explode at any moment.
A final phase will involve removal of the 9000 remaining soldiers by the end of 2011. However, the possibility of maintaining a residual force beyond that date is considered.
Let’s make a wish – even if time is running quickly while the problems seem to be resolved very slowly – that the slumbering demons will not be awaken and backfire all efforts and sacrifices that have been done for so long…

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