5 Dec 2012

CONGO ... THE BATTLE FOR CONTROL UN's failure to confront insurgents





DR Congo's resources have become a battle ground between Western countries and those who oppose them. Resources in the country, worth billions of dollars are driving some governments and their contractors to wage war on countries like DR Congo who have a weak government to defend themselves.

The UN's failure to confront insurgents who seized a strategic city in the Democratic Republic of Congo has raised questions about its largest and costliest peacekeeping mission.

The blue helmets gave up the battle for Goma in the eastern part of the country without firing a shot, standing aside as M23 rebels - widely believed to be backed by Rwanda - overran the frontier city of up to one million people.

For the French Foreign Minister, Laurent Fabius, it was "absurd" that the UN troops had allowed the rebels to parade past them. He urged that the mandate of the more than 17,000-strong force be reviewed.

The DR Congo peacekeepers - known by their acronym Monusco - are authorised to use force to protect civilians and support Congolese army operations against rebel groups and militias competing for control of mineral wealth in the lawless east of the country.


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