Anti-MONUSCO protests explained

Anti-MONUSCO protests
Subtitle:Anti-MONUSCO protests in the DR Congo
Partof:the Kivu conflict
Date:25 July – 1 August 2022
Place:Democratic Republic of the Congo
Goals:
  • Withdrawal of MONUSCO from the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Methods:
Side1:Anti-MONUSCO protestors----March 23 Movement (alleged by The North Africa Post)[1]
Side2:
Leadfigures1:Uncentralized
Leadfigures2:
Fatalities:36 overall
Injuries:170 overall

In late July 2022, anti-MONUSCO protests manifested in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The protests were against MONUSCO, the United Nations' peacekeeping force in the country, which has been accused by Congolese politicians and civilians of failing to take action to end the decades-old conflict within the country. The protestors demanded that MONUSCO leave the country.

Protests

On 25 July 2022, protests began in the Congolese city of Goma against MONUSCO, which the protestors accused of failing to take action to end the decades-old conflict within the country, and more protests later manifested the following day in Beni and Butembo. According to MONUSCO, protestors stole weapons from the police, and vandalized and looted UN facilities,[2] forcing UN personnel to evacuate the MONUSCO headquarters in Goma via a helicopter airlift.[3] The newspaper The North Africa Post alleged that March 23 Movement rebels had used the unrest as a cover, and been responsible for the attack on a contingent of Moroccan MONUSCO peacekeepers at Nyamilima during the protests.

Deaths

According to Congolese government spokesperson Patrick Muyaya, five people were killed and a further 50 more were injured in Goma. Colonel Paul Ngoma, the police chief of Butembo, stated that seven people were killed in the city, and MONUSCO stated that one peacekeeper and two BSF police officers were also killed in Butembo.[2] [4] On 27 July, four protestors were electrocuted by an electrical cable which was downed by UN soldiers.[5]

On 31 July, two people were killed and fifteen were injured in Beni when UN soldiers opened fire at a Congolese border post, forcing their way into the country from Uganda. A UN representative stated that the soldiers in question were arrested pending an investigation into the incident.[6] [7] By 1 August, two Moroccan peacekeepers, namely Chief Corporal Azzouz Zhenadi and Major Mohammed Rami, and two Indian policemen, Shishupal Singh and Sanwala Ram Vishnoi, had been killed during the protests.[8]

According to an official report by the DR Congo government, 36 people had been killed and 170 wounded during the protests by August.[9]

Reactions

Aftermath

In early August, the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo expelled UN spokesman Mathias Gillmann from the country, stating that he made "indelicate and inappropriate" statements which led to the high tensions between MONUSCO and the country's citizens. Congolese foreign affairs minister Christophe Lutundula stated that the Congolese government intended to speed up the process of MONUSCO's withdrawal from the country, which was originally planned for 2024.[12]

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. Web site: UN Chief offers condolences to Morocco following death of Moroccan Blue Helmet in DRC . The North Africa Post . 27 July 2022 . 3 August 2022 . 3 August 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220803192244/https://northafricapost.com/59344-un-chief-offers-condolences-to-morocco-following-death-of-moroccan-blue-helmet-in-drc.html . live .
  2. Web site: At Least 15 Killed as Anti-UN Protests Spread in Eastern DR Congo. en. Al Jazeera. 26 July 2022. 27 July 2022. 26 July 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220726212051/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/7/26/un-peacekeepers-troops-shoot-two-protesters-dead-in-goma-drc. live.
  3. Web site: Protesters Demand UN Troops Leave DRC Amid Rising Conflict. en. Al Jazeera. 26 July 2022. 27 July 2022. 26 July 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220726220812/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/7/26/protesters-demand-un-troops-leave-drc-amid-rising-conflict. live.
  4. Web site: Tiwary . Deeptiman . 27 July 2022 . Two BSF Men Part of UN Peacekeeping Mission in Democratic Republic of Congo Killed . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220727155133/https://indianexpress.com/article/india/two-bsf-men-part-of-un-peacekeeping-team-killed-in-congo-8053541/ . 27 July 2022 . 28 July 2022 . The Indian Express . en.
  5. Web site: Four Civilians Electrocuted During Congo Anti-U.N. Protests. en. 27 July 2022. 27 July 2022. Nellie. Peyton. Sofia. Christensen. Reuters. Tomasz. Janowski. Aurora. Ellis. 27 July 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220727150800/https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/four-dead-anti-un-protests-spread-congo-2022-07-27/. live.
  6. Web site: UN Peacekeepers Open Fire in DR Congo, Causing Several Casualties. Al Jazeera. en. 31 July 2022. 1 August 2022. 31 July 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220731213751/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/7/31/un-peacekeepers-open-fire-in-dr-congo-causing-several-casualties. live.
  7. Web site: Bujakera . Stanis . 31 July 2022 . U.N. Brigade in Congo Opened Fire at Border Post, Killing Two . registration . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220807193022/https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/un-intervention-brigade-congo-opened-fire-border-post-causing-loss-life-2022-07-31/ . 7 August 2022 . 1 August 2022 . . en.
  8. Web site: Goma : dernier hommage de la MONUSCO aux casques bleus tués au front . RadioOkapi . 1 August 2022 . 3 August 2022 . 3 August 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220803070607/https://www.radiookapi.net/2022/08/02/actualite/securite/goma-dernier-hommage-de-la-monusco-aux-casques-bleus-tues-au-front . live .
  9. Web site: Bilan revu des manifestations anti-MONUSCO en RDC: 36 morts. Review of anti-MONUSCO protests in the DRC: 36 dead. RadioOkapi. 2 August 2022. 3 August 2022. 3 August 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220803070753/https://www.radiookapi.net/2022/08/02/actualite/securite/bilan-revu-des-manifestations-anti-monusco-en-rdc-36-morts. live.
  10. Web site: Guterres Says Attack on UN in Congo may be War Crime, Asks for Investigation. en. France 24. 26 July 2022. 27 July 2022. 27 July 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220727025914/https://www.france24.com/en/africa/20220726-several-shot-dead-dozens-injured-at-anti-un-protests-in-dr-congo. live.
  11. Web site: Le RCD/K-ML condamne les actes de violence contre les sites de la MONUSCO et en appelle à leur cessation immédiate. The RCD/K-ML condemns the acts of violence against MONUSCO sites and calls for their immediate cessation. RadioOkapi. 27 July 2022. 3 August 2022. 30 July 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220730025519/https://www.radiookapi.net/2022/07/27/actualite/politique/le-rcdk-ml-condamne-les-actes-de-violence-contre-les-sites-de-la. live.
  12. Web site: DR Congo Expels UN Peacekeeping Mission Spokesman after Protests. 3 August 2022. 5 August 2022. Al Jazeera. 5 August 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220805085612/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/8/3/congo-expels-u-n-peacekeeping-mission-spokesman-after-protests. live.

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