The inability of peacekeeping to address Rwandan Congolese security dilemma
Date
2022-06-11
Authors
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg
Abstract
Rwanda’s involvement in the DRC is more intricate than that of the other actors. The Rwandan army has been battling the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), a political-military movement which is active in the North and South Kivu provinces of the DRC. The presence of the FDLR in those provinces is problematic as it gives Rwanda a reason to continuously intervene in the DRC. . The reality is that historical issues will take a long time to resolve and that the peacebuilding process in the DRC cannot be tied to a timeline. The
failings of the UN via MONUC and its successor MONUSCO have only served to reinforce this scepticism and sense of self-reliance in Kigali. Another consideration to add here is that
Rwanda has become one of the top 10 providers of troops to UN peacekeeping missions, primarily operating in Darfur. Censuring Rwanda for its involvement in DR Congo could put
this at risk, making UN and donor engagement with Rwanda politically more complex than just a case of whether to cut or maintain aid. The current interest by regional and international
actors in the crisis provides an opportunity for laying a framework for the resolution of the underlying structural issues that have plagued the DRC for a long time.
Description
A research report submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in International Relations to the Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024
Keywords
DRC, Rwanda, MONUSCO, Security dilemma, Peace keeping, M23, FDLR, SSR, DDR, Eastern DRC
Citation
Kabwe, Muzinga Divine. (2022). The inability of peacekeeping to address Rwandan Congolese security dilemma [Master’s dissertation, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg].