UN Resolution on DRC Arms Supply 'Crucial', But Gov't Needs to Address 'Structural' Issues

The UNSC decision is of particular importance as conflict in DR Congo tends to renew in the midst of the peace process, Dr. Felix Ndahinda, honorary assistant professor at the University of Rwanda and researcher focusing on conflict, peace, and justice in the Great Lakes region, tells Sputnik.

"[DR Congo], like any other country, can always benefit from the possibility of purchasing arms and concluding agreements in the security sector without hindrance. It is even more crucial in the current context when the Congolese state is facing a resurgence of armed hostilities not only against the M23 in North Kivu, but also in other parts of the country," he underlines.

The vast Central African country has been a place of recurring armed conflict since the mid-1990s. DR Congo's government is currently engaged in a peace process led by the Community of East African States (EAC), involving over 50 rebel groups as well as foreign counterparts. There has also been reported dialogue between government representatives and rebels from the M23 movement, which is responsible for recent acts of violence in the province of North Kivu.

According to Professor Solomon Asiimwe Muchwa, international relations and security lecturer at Nkumba University in Kampala, the resolution was "hailed by so many people" because of the "suffering everybody has seen that has taken place in DRC." "The rebel groups have been getting arms and the government of the country was not able to get arms," he notes.

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France, which proposed the resolution, supposedly also did it for political reasons – in order to "gain favors from the Congolese side," says Fred Bauma, executive director of the Ebuteli Congolese Institute for Research on Politics, Governance and Violence. He points out that "the notification requirement was interpreted by the Congolese government as a de facto embargo on guns," which was repeatedly denied by Western countries. Regardles of the real impact of the requirement, it being lifted "became a big deal in diplomatic discourse on the Congolese side," he adds.

"Normally this removes one argument of the Congolese government, saying it is not able to equip itself, so normally we should see in coming months or coming years more equipment on the Congolese government side, the Congolese Army budget has been increased significantly. In the last three years, it has more than doubled," Bauma underlines.

However, he stresses that to succeed in establishing stability in the country, the army should first undergo "deep reforms in terms of management of funds in the army, in terms of training, in terms of capacity-building, in terms of possibilities for movement."

Dr. Ndahinda, in his turn, notes that "there is ample evidence showing that security and governance issues in the DRC have less to do with the capacity to purchase than with the dysfunctional nature of institutions in the country. For instance, there is evidence that members of the Congolese Armed Forces have been arming armed groups they are expected to fight and disarm. Addressing such structural issues should be a priority before dupping more arms in a country where weapons are all over the place, often in the wrong hands."

According to Bauma, "if the Congolese government is serious in equipping itself," not just the country, but also its neighbors will benefit in the long term. Prof. Muchwa also underlines the important role that DRC plays in the region.

"If DRC settles down, it is very good for the region, because DRC is the biggest country around [there], but the countries have not been trading well with DRC because of the conflict there. So stability and peace will mean a lot for the region in terms of business. And of course, some countries [...] have suffered a lot with the refugees that are coming from DRC, running to Uganda, to Burundi, and others," he says.

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In another recent resolution, the UNSC extended the operation of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) until December 20, 2023. At the same time, the body called on the mission and other UN personnel in the country to cooperate on preparation for the force's withdrawal.

Prof. Muchwa says that there is still "a need for MONUSCO in DRC," although the country's government advocates for the force's withdrawal. Dr. Ndahinda expresses an opinion similar to that of his Ugandan colleague.

"Despite contestations, MONUSCO is still a needed actor, since Congolese authorities have not proven to be able to provide security for all. The current wave of hate speech against, or lynching of ethnic Tutsi in the DRC proves the points. Timely assessments need to be regularly conducted to ensure that positive and effective solutions exist that would constitute alternatives to the MONUSCO (for instance, an improved local situation or a sufficient and effective deployment of regional forces). Currently, this is not the case," Dr. Ndahinda underlines.

In summer 2022, MONUSCO became the target of protests, organized by Congolese who deemed the mission unable to protect the country's population. Later, after a government meeting concerning the force and its future, DR Congo's Foreign Minister Christophe Lutundula declared that MONUSCO would pull out in 2024.

UN Resolution on DRC Arms Supply 'Crucial,' But Gov't Needs to Address 'Structural' Issues - Experts