{While DRC is reluctant to take tough measures towards the eradication of FDLR rebels in its Eastern Region, the Secretary-General of the UN, Ban Ki-moon, on the other side, has recommended a 10% reduction in military strength of MONUSCO or from 20 000 men to 18 000.}
According to AFP, Ban Ki-moon made this recommendation, last weekend, in a report which, however, is not yet published but transmitted to the Security Council in view of the renewal of the mandate of MONUSCO in March.
The development comes at the time credible information has emerged that the UN peacekeeping arm in DR Congo (MONUSCO) is sabotaging efforts to disarm FDLR rebels.
Sources in the Rwandan government told a local media that MONUSCO is downplaying the process for the rebels to peacefully disarm.
FDLR was expected to voluntarily disarm before January 2, according to a UN resolution.
In the meantime Ban also recommended to “extend for a further year the deployment of MONUSCO’s intervention Brigade” made of 3000 strong men from Tanzania, Malawi and South Africa.
Eastern DR Congo observers have previously noted that Tanzanian and South African troops which lead the 3,000-strong special UN Force Intervention Brigade (FIB) – the first UN peacekeeping unit mandated to neutralise armed groups there – under Monusco – cannot be trusted to root out the FDLR rebels.
However the UN also requires that the Brigade is “made more energetic” and the other components of MONUSCO “play a more active role in the protection of civilians.”
Contacted by AFP, Lambert Mende, spokesman for the Congolese government welcome the recommendation of Ban Ki-moon.
Present in the DRC for 15 years, the power of MONUSCO has some 20,000 soldiers and a thousand police, mainly deployed in the east of the country, plagued by armed conflict for over 20 years.
Until now it is not clear whether MONUSCO and DRC are committed to the fully disarmament of the FDLR except many communiqué that are being released by concerned sides.
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