Should the United Nations Wage War to Keep Peace?
A long article, by National Geographic, complete with a short history back to the 1960's, with some stunning photos of beauty and the invariably grim human terrain. It has some pungent phrases too. Best of all it has a current map, hence below. Sorry it is so large, yet to discover the art of shrinking.
http://images.nationalgeographic.com...3958542618.jpg
Link:http://news.nationalgeographic.com/n...ntion-brigade/
One has to ask if the UN can ever be successful in Eastern Congo (DRC). Is there an exit plan, I think not.
Another "little war" in the East
An update on the situation in the east, where the UN has to make up its mind whether to coerce the FDLR - or more accurately will the Intervention Brigade's main contributors do the hard work (South Africa & Tanzania). Not to exclude Rwanda, which can complicate matters when it wants to.
Written from a South African angle, hence the questions whether the SANDF should act:www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2015-01-05-will-south-africa-really-go-to-war-in-the-drc-again/?
Our regular correspondent and SME on the Great Lakes region M-A Lagrange alas no longer posts, IIRC he still works in the area, but for a different agency.
Democratic Republic of Congo, still a vacation paradise
No pre-existing live thread on this locality, so let's kick it off with this happy news.
Quote:
"Militia fighters in the central Democratic Republic of Congo reportedly decapitated 40 police officers in the deadliest attack on authorities since an insurrection began in the region in August.
Speaker of the Kasai provincial assembly, Francois Kalamba, told Reuters the ambush took place on Friday as police officers drove from the city of Tshikapa in the Kasa District to Kananga, capital of the Lulua province."
https://www.rt.com/news/382291-drc-p...ck-decpitated/
Gazing in the Congo (DRC): the dark heart of Africa (new title)
The Best Defense Is No Offense: Why Cuts to UN Troops in Congo Could Be a Good Thing
Mod's Note
An update on the mission and a very different recommendation, get rid of the expensive ineffective Force Intervention Brigade and worth copying here as the author is an "insider":
Quote:
Adam Day is the former senior political adviser to the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in Congo (MONUSCO) and was directly involved in issues discussed in the op-ed.
A small war you didn't know about
There is little hope here:
Quote:
A new conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo has seen hundreds killed, a million displaced and the reported recruitment of thousands of child soldiers. The BBC's Catherine Byaruhanga has gained rare access to central Kasai region to report on the crisis, sparked by the killing of a rebel leader last year.
Link:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-39587896
The Scramble Away from Africa
Quote:
Originally Posted by
davidbfpo
At least 3 million civilians in the D.R. Congo have been killed since 1996. This death toll is (to date):
- 30X the civilian death toll in Syria
- 7.5X the rate of civilian deaths per year in Syria
- 49X the civilian death toll in Yugoslavia
- 25X the rate of civilian deaths per year in Yugoslavia
Yet which great powers are vying to intervene and stop this mass murder?
Democratic Republic of Congo: A Case of Recurring Obstacles
Democratic Republic of Congo: A Case of Recurring Obstacles
Entry Excerpt:
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Read the full post and make any comments at the SWJ Blog.
This forum is a feed only and is closed to user comments.
14 UN peacekeepers have been killed and 53 wounded
From the BBC a reasonably lengthy report on what the UN calls a 'war crime' after:
Quote:
The UN's Monusco mission said the peacekeepers were attacked by suspected rebels of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) in North Kivu province.Five Congolese soldiers also died.
Background:Link:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-42285871
A useful map of the armed actors in the Eastern DRC, October 2017:https://kivusecurity.nyc3.digitaloce...Dec%202017.pdf
Background to the organization:https://kivusecurity.org/about/project
I am sure those dead are from Tanzania, which contributed to the 'intervention brigade' and the linked article states:
Quote:
Nearly 300 peacekeepers have been killed since the UN mission arrived in 1999, according to UN peacekeeping data.
Link:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017...-congo-attack/
Added as it has more details:https://suluhu.org/2017/12/08/monusc...eping-history/