Violence in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has increased in recent weeks and has the potential to destabilize the region. Since January 2007, an estimated 700,000 Congolese have been internally displaced, with over 135,000 of those displaced in eastern DRC, following the failure of government troops to integrate troops loyal to dissident rebel leader General Laurent Nkunda. Additionally, it is estimated that there are 10,000 Rwandan Hutu fighters in the area. This further exacerbates the situation as Nkunda has ties with Rwanda’s Tutsi government.
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has voiced deep concern over the ongoing violence. United Nations (UN) Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has contacted Congolese leaders regarding his concerns about the violence. The UN currently has 17,000 troops stationed throughout the Democratic Republic of the Congo, currently it’s largest peacekeeping mission. The UN Security Council demanded that rebel forces loyal to Nkunda lay down their weapons and proceed with re-integration into society or join the government forces. The UN has urged Burundi and Rwanda to work with the Congolese government to address the root causes of the instability.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo experienced a brutal civil war from 1999 until 2003 when a cease-fire was signed. However, violence continued in eastern Congo for years. The landmark elections held last year were hoped to bring a greater degree of stability to the Congo.
Integration Failures Cause Fighting
Inability to integrate Nkunda’s forces with government troops is a failure of one of the key provisions established prior to last October’s elections. In those elections, Joseph Kabila was elected the first democratic leader in the Congo in 40 years (previous report). To ensure the peace process would move forward, it was agreed that forces loyal to Kabila and Nkunda would join the official government army. The failure of integration is largely responsible for the ongoing fighting. Nkunda’s forces pose one of the most serious threats to the stabilization of the Congo.
In March 2007, hundreds were killed in fighting between troops loyal to Jean-Pierre Bemba, who currently leads the Movement for the Liberation of Congo (MLC), a rebel group turned political party and government forces. The fighting began after Bemba’s troops refused to comply with last year’s agreement to disarm. After international pressure, the situation was resolved with Bemba’s troops laying down their arms.
Tough Road Ahead
Despite progress made since the cease-fire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo remains plagued with instability and various opposition groups that have not followed the agreements made prior to last year’s landmark democratic elections. In addition to Nkunda’s troops, eastern DRC is home to many members of Uganda’s Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA).
We remain concerned that the fighting in eastern DRC will continue and could, if it escalates, result in further destabilization in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Additionally, we believe prolonged fighting in eastern DRC combined with the potential for destabilization could have regional impact on DRC’s neighbors.
