The UK is supporting the international community's efforts to reach a long-term, sustainable solution to the conflict in the eastern regions of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, including those of the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative, Alan Doss and his Special Envoy Olusegun Obasanjo.

The UN has one of its biggest peacekeeping missions in the DRC.  The mission, known by its French acronym MONUC, has an authorised force strength of almost 19,500 troops.

Most recent

Fighting between rebel militia and government forces in eastern DRC in August, September, October and November 2008 displaced hundreds of thousands of civilians, bringing the total number of displaced in the DRC to around 1.5 million. The Security Council responded by authorising an increase in the troop levels of MONUC, requested by the UN’s Secretary-General, of 2,750, to a total of 19,450 troops (UN Security Council resolution 1843).  The UK has offered to support the UN's efforts to identify suitable troop-contributing countries, to help troop-contributing countries deploy their own forces, and to contribute equipment and as necessary personnel to help with specialised functions, notably on the command and the intelligence sides.  On 22 December, the Security Council renewed the mandate of MONUC for another year (UN Security Council resolution 1856) and extended the sanctions regime applying to the DRC (UN Security Council resolution 1857).

The UK, already one of the largest and most active humanitarian donors in the DRC, increased its humanitarian support by £5m ($7.6m) to £42m ($64m) over 2008.

The Secretary-General also appointed in November Olusegun Obasanjo, the former President of Nigeria, as his special envoy to work with the leaders of the region and the international community to bring about a lasting political solution.

More information on the UK's position on the DRC is available.

Background

In October 1996 dissident groups, led by Laurent Kabila, and supported by Rwanda and Uganda, rose in revolt against the then President Mobutu.  They entered Kinshasa on 17 May 1997 and Kabila declared himself President.  Mobutu fled to Morocco, where he subsequently died.  Internal and external dissatisfaction with the new president grew until late summer 1998, when a new rebel group announced itself, again backed by Rwanda and Uganda, and a second conflict broke out.  SADC states led by Zimbabwe and Angola intervened on the side of the Kabila Government.  (Laurent Kabila was assassinated by one of his bodyguards in 2001, and was replaced as President by his son, Joseph Kabila.)

By mid-1999 front lines had stabilised, with three belligerent groups respectively controlling a third of the country, each backed by different regional states.  A cease-fire was signed in Lusaka in August 1999.  The Security Council established MONUC to facilitate the implementation of the Lusaka Accord.  It has a budget exceeding US$1 billion and is currently the largest UN peacekeeping mission.

The first democratic elections for over 40 years took place in July and October 2006. Joseph Kabila was elected President with 58.05% of the vote in the second round. He was inaugurated as President on 6 December 2006 for a 5-year term.

The DRC continues to be affected by violence and insecurity, especially in the east where the insurgency of rebel General Nkunda, and the continued presence of Rwandan rebels, have displaced hundreds of thousands and created an ongoing humanitarian disaster. The ill-disciplined and poorly-paid Congolese armed forces continue to pose a threat to civilians across the country, and the needs of the Congolese population remain immense.

Human Rights

Abuses of human rights and humanitarian standards by the remaining rebel militias and Congolese army continue at a high level, particularly in the east of the country.  There are frequent reports of summary execution of civilians, widespread rape and sexual violence, banditry and forced labour.  Ethnic tensions are high in the east and north-east of the country, where violence displaced large numbers of civilians and humanitarian needs are acute.  

Sanctions

The United Nations imposed an arms embargo in July 2003 – Security Council Resolution 1493 (2003), extended by SC Resolution 1552 (2004), 1596 (2005), 1649 (2005), 1698 (2006) and 1807 (2008).