EDITORIAL: MONUSCO handling of FDLR issue is appalling

The perennial drama involving the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) is again unfolding in eastern DR Congo. This time, the main actor is none other than the United Nations peacekeeping body, Monusco, which has threatened to stop feeding members of the FDLR militia under their care. They claim that they are unable to sustain feeding the militia and their dependents who are grouped in various camps as they await demobilisation and repatriation to Rwanda. With an annual budget of US $ 1.4 billion, it is inconceivable that the UN body can fail to raise US$ 2 million a month for the militia feeding. Now it wants to hand over that task to the Congolese government, a very surprising move as the UN is aware that the DR Congo is not up to the task. The UN has been dragging its feet on the FDLR issue for years. It has always come up with excuses for not disarming the group and this passing of the buck is another ploy. Keeping the FDLR intact in the Congo, and now threatening to starve them, is only giving them reasons not to lay down their arms; they will instead use them to survive. Rwanda has always shown willingness to receive and rehabilitate the militia groups, and tens of thousands have returned and reintegrated in society, what is so special with the remaining batch? The current Monusco outfit is the main stumbling block in returning peace to eastern DR Congo. It is therefore baffling that the UN Security Council does not do anything about it other than coming up with toothless resolutions.

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EDITORIAL: MONUSCO handling of FDLR issue is appalling