UN Criticised of Congo Offensive

Kelley Carter

13 October 2009

6:45 p.m.

The United Nations peacekeeping force has been criticized in many accounts from international aid agencies. The decision to support a government military offensive against the ethnic Hutu rebels in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the subsequent inaction of their mission was said to have caused widespread killings and rape. The Congolese Advocacy Coalition stated that while disarming Hutu rebels was a priority, “but that for every rebel who has been disarmed this year, one civilian has been killed, seven women or girls raped, and 900,000 people made homeless.” The U.N. is supporting a government offensive against FDLR rebels that originated in the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. Some of the violence in the Congo is reprisals carried out by the Hutu, but also the DR of the Congo has also targeted civilians by raping, killing and looting. The Oxfam has said that the U.N. has not used its influence to stop the government from employing commanders known for previous human rights abuses.

In this case no one is wondering whether human rights abuses are occurring in the Congo, it’s obvious they are. What everybody is wondering is who can they blame? I would agree that the U.N. is not using it’s “clout” enough. I think it does need to throw its weight around a little bit more. Nonetheless I think accusing the U.N. of causing “disastrous humanitarian consequences” is way more credit than it has due. At worst the U.N. is ineffectual, which is bad enough. Of course, some U.N. troops have been accused of crimes but what I see is the U.N. trying to do it’s best among much opposition and criticism. Though that best seems very misguided at times.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8304721.stm