Event details

Date: 2010-02-04

Venue: ISS Conference Room Block C, Brooklyn Court 361 Veale Street New Muckleneuk Parking in Brooklyn Mall and ABSA court)

RSVP: Khunjulwa Peter Tel (012) 346 9500 Fax (012) 460 0997/ 086 508 1660 E-mail [email protected]

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ISS Seminar: Pretoria: When Will the UN Leave the Democratic Republic of Congo

Date: 2010-02-04

Venue: ISS Conference Room Block C, Brooklyn Court 361 Veale Street New Muckleneuk Parking in Brooklyn Mall and ABSA court)

RSVP: Khunjulwa Peter Tel (012) 346 9500 Fax (012) 460 0997/ 086 508 1660 E-mail [email protected]

The announcement on 14 September 2009 by the Congolese Minister of Communications and Media, Mr. Lambert Mende Omalanga, that the UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), MONUC, would withdraw from that country by 2011 came as somewhat of surprise to the United Nations and the international donor community. Though the issue of withdrawal had been raised many times in the past, so definite a statement came as something of a surprise. Not only was it left unclear as to whether this would be a total or merely the beginning of a phased reduction in strength, but the choice of 2011 was strange. Not only will 2011 mark the 50th anniversary of Congolese independence, it should also see the holding of the second set of national multiparty elections. The minister mentioned the issue of instability in the eastern DRC and the status of the Forces Armées de la Republic Democratic du Congo (FARDC) and the National Congolese Police (PNC). This might imply that the Congolese government believes that by 2011 its own forces would be up to the task of providing nationwide security, a conclusion most informed observers would question, though a redeployment of MONUC forces to the east of the country suggests that the west is now relatively stable.


SPEAKER

Henri Boshoff

Head Peace Missions Programme
Institute for Security Studies

Presented by the

Peace Missions Programme

Please note that discussions occur under the Chatham House rules, which means no attribution without specific permission

 
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