Peacekeepers in Combat: Protecting Civilians in the D.R. Congo

Largely uncredited in public media and academic literature, the United Nations has used armed force frequently in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (drc), probably more than in any other UN peacekeeping operation. Though unheralded, this saved lives and protected cities and towns. However, attacks on civilians in drc are so frequent and widespread that many times the mission has been unable to respond in a timely fashion. To save more lives and gain trust in the local population, a much greater UN effort is needed to support robust measures, with more resources, determination and accountability (for inaction as well as action), even as “donor fatigue” sets in for a mission that has been operating since 1999. Still, it is important for peacekeeping as a whole to recognize and learn from cases of use of force against Congolese illegal armed groups (iag s), like the adf, cndp, fdlr, frpi, and M23. These cases show some remarkable successes, including removing some major poc threats, fracturing rebel groups, increasing UN deterrence, and enhancing the rule of law in the still untamed “Wild East” of the immense African country.