#monusco

Militia leader Ntabo Ntaberi Sheka surrendered Wednesday to the United Nations Mission in the DR Congo - Monusco. He was under warrant for crimes against humanity, including mass rapes, since 2011.Sheka remained at large for more than six years as his armed group, known as the ‘Nduma Defense of Congo’, continued to commit numerous atrocities in eastern Congo, including the killing of 70 civilians and the rape of at least 387 women, men, girls, and boys in several villages of the Walikale territory. The group also forcibly recruited scores of young men and boys into their ranks.

MONUSCO will support the Congolese judicial authorities in pursuing criminal prosecutions for Sheka’s crimes, and it has a standing agreement with the government to ensure that those handed over to the national authorities are treated in accordance with human rights standards.

A 12-day mission to conduct a strategic review of our peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo MONUSCO has concluded on 8 August. 

Led by the Assistant Secretary-General for peacekeeping operations, El Ghassim Wane, the team comprised by political, humanitarian, human rights, security sector and other experts related to the mandate of the Mission. The team met with Government officials, the national electoral commission, the catholic bishops’ organisation known as CENCO, members of the opposition, civil society, diplomatic community and religious leaders and traveled to several locations in the country, including in the Kasais, which has been the epicenter of violence and human rights violations in the last months. 

The strategic review has been requested by the Security Council in order to examine ‘the continued relevance of all mandated tasks, priorities and related resources, as well as the necessity to adapt the Mission’s mandate to the specific needs of the post-elections phase’. According to the 31 December 2016 agreement brokered by CENCO, elections should take place in the country by the end of this year. Speaking to the press in the capital Kinshasa, Mr. Wane stressed that it is ultimately the Government’s responsibility to conduct the elections and ensure the protection of civilians.

“I hope that the  Government will apply confidence building measures to ease the political crisis and publish an electoral calendar to unblock the political process” said Mr. Wane. 

He also highlighted that the UN will work with other partners, such as the African Union, the Southern African Development Community and the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie to support the Congolese process. The outcome of the strategic review with recommendations for the reconfiguration of MONUSCO will be submitted to the Security Council by the end of September 2017.

Bruges, octobre 2016.

Peacekeepers serving with our mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) keep vigil in the thick Congolese jungle.

MONUSCO has increased its reach and presence in remote areas such as this to counter “negative elements”, such as armed groups and reduce their threat to the population. 

Nepalese peacekeepers serving with our mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, MONUSCO, provide medical services in the in the village of Mataba, Mulekera commune, Beni territory, North Kivu.

Mobile medical clinics, such as this one, are regularly organized by our peacekeepers in many of the missions we serve.