After the condemnation of the United Nations Mission in the D.R. Congo by Amnesty International for giving logistics and human support to the Congolese Army that is accused of committed atrocities against harmless civilians, the UN deputy secretary general in charge of peacekeeping mission, Alain Leroy has announced that they have decided to withdraw any support to the Congolese army until it’s cleared of any wrongdoing.
Mr. Leroy announced the decision after a courtesy visit to the Governor of South Kivu province in Bukavu. This decision also coincides with the departure of the UN Secretary General Special representative in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mr. Ross Mountain whose contract has expired. His visit is seen as the signal to downsizing the UN Mission in the DR Congo. He hinted by saying that apart of having held elections, the DR Congo is now in good terms with its neighbors. This can be proven by the fact that diplomatic representations have been re-opened in Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi.
Since the fall of President Mobutu, the Democratic Republic of Congo National Army has never regained its former glory. It is known to always flee battle field and in total incapacity to counter any attack. The Congolese Army, FARDC is known to rely on UN logistics and sometimes human support from the United Nations contingent in the D.R. Congo. It’s the Indian contingents that prevented the fall of Goma in Laurent Nkunda’s army hands.
Although the Congolese government spokesman and minister for Information, Lambert Mende Omalanga acknowledges that there are some undisciplined elements in the army who commit such atrocities, he refutes the accusations. Apart of being inefficient in the battle fields, the FARDC is also known to be very authoritative towards civilians especially in the ever unstable Kivu region. The men in uniforms are known to loot, rape both men and women and kill harmless civilians.
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