Peace in the DRC, Part III: Something Long-Term Would Be Nice.

by Michelle

Published November 05, 2008 @ 06:47PM PST

If some degree of security can be established in the Eastern DRC, it will not be sustained without serious reforms to the Congolese military. The FARDC, beyond being under-resourced and generally incompetent, is responsible for some of the worst abuses committed against Congolese civilians, including enthusiastic participation in the brutal epidemic of rape that has become a hallmark of the conflict.

To continue with the overview of his report on the DRC, Anthony Gambino identifies two keys for peace in the DRC:

1. "Resolving the uncertainty about the future of MONUC," the UN mission to the DRC, which is up for renewal by the UN Security Council at the end of this year, and
2. "Creating a professional, function nucleus" of the FARDC and the national police forces.

MONUC bears chief responsibility for reforming the FARDC, but currently lacks the capacity for such a monumental task-not to mention the fact the overstretched force must also secure both rural and urban areas in the meantime. Boosting MONUC's capacity is thus of utmost importance, according to Gambino, and the U.S. should use its diplomatic power at the UN to secure the sufficient personnel, mandate, and other resources for MONUC to pursue theses dual functions.

Reforming the FARDC

Reforming the FARDC is critical for long-term hopes of peace and stability, and Gambino advocates for "building the nucleus of a reformed Congolese army and police forces that respects basic human rights and the rule of law."

Past attempts have failed miserably, on account of their ad hoc or superficial nature. Given the military's wretched condition, reform will require a deep-rooted, sustained commitment on the part of MONUC, following the precedent of programs run by the British in Sierra Leone and the U.S. in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Liberia.

This "nucleus" must be carefully vetted, especially the leadership, to exclude past abusers, or credibility (and likelihood of success) will be undermined. Additional key components, for which MONUC must be staffed and equipped to carry out, include:

• One or two well-trained brigades must be able to conduct effective operations in the Kivus.
• Training must involve embedded specialists and mentors, down to the company unit.
• Newly-trained brigades must be co-deployed with MONUC.
• Additional collective training exercises with MONUC.

Furthermore, Gambino advises that international assistance may be needed to provide salary supplements for the troops selected for this intensive training, to cut off motivation to commit abuses against civilians, as well as encourage the newly-trained forces to comply remain compliant and legit. (Lest they lose their job and steady source of income.) This precedent was also set in Sierra Leone and Liberia.

Gambino includes a variety of other recommendations for long-term peace, including the extent of MONUC's deployment, but the fundamental restructuring of the FARDC is the most critical matter at hand:

"Effectively trained and paid FARDC units, with embedded MONUC soldiers, would co-deploy with MONUC units for any actual missions, including potential combat, in eastern Congo, whether against the FDLR or other armed groups."

Gambino's analysis is worthy of serious consideration, especially as the U.S. political transition gets underway and the newly-elected Obama administration crafts its foreign policy. However, Gambino does not address several key issues, save for casual mention, including the substantial role Rwanda must play in defusing Laurent Nkunda's rebels, the delicate question of what-to-do-with-the-FDLR, and the problem of corruption and abuses committed by UNAMID troops themselves.

(Just to give you a laundry list of potential upcoming blogs. Sadly, I doubt I will ever run out of things to talk about.)

For more background, check out: Part I, Part II, and my "Alphabet Soup" run down, and general conflict background. For coverage of the humanitarian crisis, hop over to the aptly-named Humanitarian Relief blog, where Michael continues with the Change.org Tour of Mega-Downers.

[Photo from AP]