{{KIGALI, 20th January 2015}}-{The Head of MONUSCO in Kigali, Mr. Gani Are visited Hope Academy Rwanda to speak to Grades 6 to 10 about the aims of the mission and how they are being achieved. Mr. Are said that he was very keen to speak to students about the work of MONUSCO as it was a visit by a United Nations (UN) official to his school which inspired him to join the international organisation.}
After giving the students an introduction to the work and structure of the UN, Mr. Are spoke about the origins of MONUSCO in the aftermath of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi and how it developed from the MONUC mission.
The question and answer session touched on broader points of world affairs, such as the causes of conflict and terrorism, Boko Haram, and Gaza, in addition to the difficulties inherent in disarming rebel groups. Lt. Col. Kelius Mwadime – Deputy Military Liaison Office in the Kigali office – talked about the military problems with disarming rebels while Mr. Are highlighted the political challenged.
Reminding students that peace can only be made if the conflicting parties are ready for it, Mr. Are discussed the possible clash between the UN’s concept of their Responsibility to Protect and the doctrine of national sovereignty. As is the case among the international community, the debate remained unresolved.
Hope Academy Rwanda is grateful to Mr. Are and Lt. Col. Kelius Mwadime for taking the time to come and speak with the students. The talk was enlightening and inspirational. We hope to be able to invite him to return in the future to discuss the progress MONUSCO has made towards stability in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
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