MONUSCO
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The Mission of the United Nations in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), abbreviated MONUC (a French acronym for Mission de l' Organisation des Nations Unies en République démocratique du Congo) is a United Nations peacekeeping force established on February 24, 2000, by Resolution 1291 of the United Nations Security Council to monitor the peace process of the Second Congo War, though much of its focus subsequently turned to the conflict in the Ituri.
The headquarters of this mission are in Kinshasa, DRC. The mission views the DRC as consisting of 6 sectors, each with its own staff headquarters. The approved budget for MONUC, from July 1, 2006 to June 30, 2007, is US$1,138.53 million, the largest for any current UN peacekeeping operation.
Force numbers and fatalities
In July 2004 there were 10,531 UN soldiers under MONUC's command. On October 1, 2004, the UN Security Council decided to deploy 5,900 more soldiers to Congo, although UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan had asked for some 12,000.
On 25 February 2005, nine Bangladeshi peacekeepers were killed by members of the Nationalist and Integrationist Front militia in Ituri province. The FNI killed another Nepali peacekeeper and took seven captive in May 2006. Two of the seven were released in late June and the UN was trying to secure the release of the remaining five.[1] In total, 83 members of MONUC have been killed since its establishment. [2] By November 2005, MONUC consisted of 16,561 uniformed troops. MONUC's mandate has been extended to September 30, 2006. On July 30, 2006, MONUC forces were charged with keeping the 2006 general election —the first multiparty election in the DRC since 1960— peaceful and orderly. MONUC troops began patrolling areas of eastern DRC after armed clashes broke on August 5 following the chaotic collection of election results.
Total strength, on 30 November, 2006 was 18,473 uniformed personnel, including 16,622 troops, 776 military observers, 1,075 police, who were supported by 953 international civilian personnel, 2,079 local civilian staff and 660 United Nations Volunteers.
The UN has recorded a total of 98 fatalities among MONUC personnel, up to the end of 2006, as follows: 68 military personnel, 10 military observers, 2 UN police, 9 international civilian, and 9 local civilian.
Sector HQs
- MONUC HQ: Kinshasa
- QG MONUC: Kinshasa
- Sector 1: Mbandaka
- Sector 2: Kisangani
- Sector 3: Kananga
- Sector 4: Kalemie
- Sector 5: Kindu
- Sector 6: Bunia
Staff and forces
Military
Military: 15,051 troops (nearly 10,000 from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Nepal, South Africa and Uruguay) and 724 military observers, from 49 countries.
- Africa
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- Americas
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- Asia
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- Europe
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Civilian Police
Civilian Police (CIVPOL): 320, from 20 countries:
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Civilians
International civilian employees and volunteers, and DRC nationals: 2,636
- International Employees: 816
- United Nations Volunteers: 482
- DRC nationals: 1,338
Abuses
The BBC alleges that in 2005, the Pakistani MONUC peacekeepers in Mongbwalu entered in a trading relationship for gold with Nationalist and Integrationist Front militia leaders, eventually drawing Congolese army officers and Indian traders from Kenya into the deal. It is further alleged that these peacekeepers returned weapons taken from the FNI as part of demobilization efforts to FNI leaders known for human rights violations.[3]