DRC: Two Killed By UN Peacekeepers

JUL 26 2022·Updated AUG 1 2022

Story

Image credit: Getty Images [via The Times]

The Facts

Members of the UN peacekeeping force MONUSCO in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) reportedly killed at least two Congolese and injured 15 on Sun. at a border post in the northeastern town of Kasindi.
Reuters
According to the UN, two soldiers returning from leave opened fire on the post in the border town with Uganda in the DRC's North Kivu province for "unexplained reasons."
France 24
In videos of the incident, at least two men can reportedly be seen approaching the UN convoy behind a closed barrier. After a verbal exchange, the "blue helmets" apparently open fire before opening the gate and crossing the post as they continue shooting.
DW
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres voiced "outrage," as his special representative in the DRC, Bintou Keita, announced an investigation in cooperation with the Congolese government and said the perpetrators had been identified and arrested.
Al Jazeera
This latest incident occured after anti-UN protests in several towns in the North Kivu region last week reportedly left 19 people dead, including three peacekeepers. Protesters have been calling for the withdrawal of UN forces, accusing them of failing to stop decades of armed conflict in the region.
Al Jazeera
The UN first launched an observer mission in 1999 and, in 2010, it transitioned into MONUSCO with a mandate to conduct offensive operations. Meanwhile, more than 120 militias are said to be active in the country's east.
CGTN Africa

Sources Split

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RIGHT

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ESTAB

The Spin

Narrative A

The UN mission in Congo is failing primarily because its static approach doesn't take into account the structural and multidimensional causes of the conflict. This gives the not entirely unjustified impression that MONUSCO is pouring oil on the fire rather than stabilizing the situation. MONUSCO must work with the government in Kinshasa on long-term solutions. Security sector reform is essential in this situation.

The Organization for World Peace

Narrative B

It's primarily the responsibility of the government in Kinshasa to ensure peace, security, and stability in the east of the country, not that of MONUSCO. The government has failed to fulfil this duty, and the recent anti-UN protests are a product of political manipulation.

The Conversation