When the big ones meet… – UN Security Council on the Congo
On 25 July 2013, the recently reopened UN Security Council chamber held one of its most high-profile attended meetings on the ongoing turmoil in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. (see here for the official wrap-up press release) Announced as a “ministerial meeting”, the Security Council’s 7011th session hosted US Secretary of State John Kerry … Continue reading
Thin-skinned quarrels: MONUSCO and humanitarian action in the Congo
(FIRST PUBLISHED BY AFRICAN ARGUMENTS AT: http://africanarguments.org/2013/07/18/thin-skinned-quarrels-monusco-and-humanitarian-action-in-the-congo-by-christoph-vogel/) Last week, medical humanitarian organisation Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF/Doctors Without Borders) published an op-ed in Congolese newspapers, underlining the need for humanitarian actors to operate in line with neutrality, impartiality, and independence – the humanitarian principles as defined by the International Committee of the Red Cross. The concrete example … Continue reading
Precarious stalemate? M23 rumours, UN brigade tippy-toe, and yet another leak
Despite rumours unfolding on an hours-basis, M23 is unlikely to re-conquer Goma within the coming days. After a longer restructuration (and probably re-recruitment) period pursuant to February’s internecine showdown, leading to Ntaganda’s defeat and subsequent surrender in Kigali, M23 seems still weakened, or overstretched at least. Recent regular incursions by FDLR and Nyatura militia into … Continue reading
Interview: À quoi faut-il s’attendre de la “Brigade d’Intervention”?
In the following interview, Josaphat Musamba, a Congolese analyst and lecturer, replies to a couple of burning questions in regards to MONUSCO’s force intervention brigade which is in the process of deploying, having the task of “neutralising” armed groups in eastern DRC. Pensez vous que la brigade va répondre aux exigences du mandat offensif ? … Continue reading
The heart of brightness
Reporting on the Democratic Republic of the Congo is not easy. Still, there are journalists and analysts who manage to maintain a reasonable well balanced style. Others regularly fall prey to the most damaging clichés, from 1960 to present. Barely knowing about DRC’s complexities in terms of politics and society, they employ crude narratives displaying … Continue reading
Local security dilemmas in eastern Congo
“La politique est formée dans les pensées des gens qui tiennent leur experience dans les mains.” (Raia Mutomboki combatant, April 2013) 2013 has so far been a period of relative calm around Bunyakiri, in South Kivu’s Kalehe territory. The locality, consisting roughly of three villages (Bulambika, Kando, and Kambali) had experienced increased levels of violence … Continue reading
The FDLR, a never ending curse in eastern Congo?
Discussing the Front pour la Libération du Rwanda, FDLR, is not an easy task. Not only that its history, activities, and ramifications are often opaque and controversial, also debates in academia and media usually spark fierce ideological drumming on all sides, social media being the best example. Still, many do it constantly. The recent rhetorical … Continue reading
Guest Post: Une Armée de la Région des Grands Lacs?
ALTERNATIVES POUR LA STABILITE ET LA SECURISATION DE LA REPUBLIQUE DEMOCRATIQUE DU CONGO Par Josaphat MUSAMBA, Université Simon Kimbangu, Bukavu/RDC (rédaction par http://www.christophvogel.net) La dynamique de la région des Grands Lacs actuellement pose de nombreuses interrogations et ramène des chercheurs as réfléchir davantage pour aider les Etats de la région a se stabiliser et a … Continue reading
Taking the Fight to the DRC Rebels: The Potential Pitfalls of a UN Intervention Brigade
The creation of a special UN unit in the DRC to conduct “targeted offensive operations” against rebel groups could prove helpful, but there are also dangers. (First published by Think Africa Press at http://thinkafricapress.com/drc/taking-fight-drc-rebels-monusco-intervention-brigade-potential-pitfalls) At the end of March, the United Nations Security Council unanimously approved Resolution 2098. This not only extended the mandate of … Continue reading
Putting things in perspective: Buffet Foundation versus UN Group of Experts
On April 1, the Howard G. Buffet Foundation issued a report scrutinising the role, methodology, and content of the UN Group of Experts’ work on the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The reports closely aligns to the rebuttal the Government of Rwanda issued against the Group’s 2012 interim report’s infamous annex. It … Continue reading
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