UN / DR CONGO MONUSCO

The Security Council extends the current mandate of the UN peacekeeping force in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) by one month and agrees to transform the operation so that it becomes a stabilization mission in the vast African nation. Head of peacekeeping Alain Le Roy says that the drawdown of troops will be from the western part of the country. UNTV /MONUC

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:02:00
• Production Date: 28 May 2010
• Asset Language: Original
• Corporate Name: UNITED NATIONS OBSERVER MISSSION IN THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO - MONUC
• Subject Topical: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS; PEACE AND SECURITY
• Geographic Subject: DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO
• MAMS Id: U100528a

Description

STORY: UN / DR CONGO MONUSCO
TRT: 2:00
SOURCE: UNTV / MONUC
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 26 & 28 MAY 2010, NEW YORK CITY / FILE

Shotlist

FILE – UNTV - RECENT, NEW YORK CITY

1. Wide shot, United Nations headquarters

UNTV - 28 MAY 2010, NEW YORK CITY

2. Various shots, Security Council begins meeting on Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)
3. Pan right, Council vote on DRC
4. Various shots, end of Council meeting on DRC

FILE – MONUC - 14 MAY 2010, KINSHASA, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO

5. Various shots, Security Council members with DRC President Joseph Kabila

UNTV – 26 MAY 2010, NEW YORK CITY

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Alain Le Roy, Under-Secretary-General, Peacekeeping Operations, United Nations:
“The troops will leave the country around June 30 on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of independence and those troops will come from the western part of the country where peace and stability is almost there but not always but globally there. But, of course, in the east of the country there is still a lot of fighting going on against the FDLR, against the LRA and it’s very important that the troops remain there. And I think we have found a very good agreement with the Congolese authorities with President Kabila and his government.”

FILE – MONUC - 25 - 26 MARCH 2010, ICHUNGA, KIBUA, NORTH KIVU PROVINCE, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO

7. Various shots, MONUC peacekeepers escorting villagers to market

UNTV – 26 MAY 2010, NEW YORK CITY

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Alain Le Roy, Under-Secretary-General, Peacekeeping Operations, United Nations:
“And I think we are on the same page with the Congolese authorities. We will have, of course, a joint assessment regular joint assessment to see if we can go further drawdown in the near future but that will be a joint assessment.”

FILE – MONUC - 16 APRIL 2009, DUNGU, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO
9. Various shots, MONUC peacekeepers walking to UN helicopter
10. Med shot, peacekeepers offloading cargo from UN helicopter
11. Various shots, peacekeeper on guard

Storyline

The Security Council today (28 May) extended the current mandate of the United Nations (UN) peacekeeping force in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) by one month and agreed to transform the operation so that from then on it becomes a stabilization mission in the vast African nation.
MONUC’s mandate now extends through 30 June before it turns into the UN Stabilization Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO), which has been authorized to stay in the DRC until 30 June next year.

The resolution also authorized the withdrawal of up to 2,000 UN military personnel by 30 June this year from areas where security has improved enough to allow their removal.

The Council decided that MONUSCO shall comprise, in addition to the appropriate civilian, judiciary and correction components, a maximum of 19,815 military personnel, 760 military observers, 391 police personnel and 1,050 personnel of formed police units.

The resolution comes after the Security Council’s visit to the country earlier this month when they met with Congloese President Joseph Kabila to discuss matters relating to the mission and its possible drawdown.

Head of peacekeeping Alain Le Roy had also travelled to the DRC earlier this year to meet with the President and the mission. In an interview with UNifeed, he talked about importance of peacekeeping troop presence in eastern DRC where “there is still a lot of fighting going on against the FDLR, against the LRA.”

The new resolution also authorized the mission to keep a reserve force capable of redeploying rapidly elsewhere in the country, while concentrating its military forces in the east of the country.

It also encouraged the Government to promote non-military solutions as an integral part of the overall solution for reducing the threat posed by Congolese and foreign armed groups and to restore full State authority in the areas freed from armed groups.

Le Roy added that “a regular joint assessment” will be conducted “to see if we can go further drawdown in the near future.”

According to the Security Council, any future reconfiguration will be based on the completion of the ongoing military operations in the Kivu provinces and Orientale province; an improved capacity of the DRC Government to effectively protect the population through the establishment of sustainable security forces with a view to progressively take over MONUSCO’s security role; and the consolidation of State authority across the territory, through the deployment of Congolese civil administration, in particular the police, territorial administration and rule of law institutions in areas freed from armed groups.

The Council also noted that substantial progress had been made since the deployment of the mission in 1999 to monitor the implementation of the peace process that was intended to end civil war in the DRC.