MONUSCO in Eastern DRC: A Mission Caught Between Protection and Powerlessness
For more than twenty-six years, the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo, widely known as MONUSCO, has operated in one of Africa’s most unstable regions. Established to protect civilians and support peace after years of conflict, the mission became one of the UN’s largest and longest-running deployments, with over 13,000 troops stationed primarily in eastern Congo. Yet despite its size, resources, and longevity, insecurity has not only persisted but, in many areas, intensified.
Eastern DRC remains plagued by armed violence, mass displacement, sexual abuse, and recurring humanitarian crises. Communities in North and South Kivu continue to flee attacks by rebel groups, while trust in international peacekeeping has steadily eroded. For many Congolese civilians, MONUSCO’s presence came to symbolize unfulfilled promises rather than lasting peace.
When Bintou Keita assumed leadership of MONUSCO in 2021, expectations were high. She inherited a mission already under pressure, following years of criticism during the tenure of her predecessor, Leila Zerrougui. Civilians hoped new leadership would bring renewed effectiveness and accountability. Instead, the security situation deteriorated rapidly, exposing deep structural weaknesses within the mission.
The resurgence of the M23 rebel group in late 2021 became a turning point. Unlike in 2013, when MONUSCO’s Force Intervention Brigade played a decisive role in defeating M23, the new wave of fighting revealed a mission struggling to adapt. Armed groups expanded their territorial control, while peacekeepers appeared increasingly unable to contain the violence.
In early 2022, MONUSCO announced military engagements against M23 in the Shangi area of Rutshuru. The Force Intervention Brigade attempted to push rebel fighters out, but the operation failed. M23 forces continued capturing strategic locations, forcing thousands of civilians to flee. With each lost territory, MONUSCO’s credibility weakened further, deepening frustration among local communities who felt abandoned.
By mid-2022, public anger erupted into widespread protests across major eastern cities including Goma, Butembo, and Uvira. Demonstrators accused MONUSCO of overstaying its mandate without delivering tangible security improvements. What began as protests quickly turned violent. According to Congolese government spokesperson Patrick Muyaya, at least thirty-six people were killed and more than seventy injured by early August 2022. The deaths shocked the nation and intensified demands for MONUSCO’s departure.
Facing mounting domestic pressure, the Congolese government began openly questioning the mission’s future. Officials warned that unless significant progress was made, MONUSCO would be asked to leave by 2023. The message was clear: patience had run out.
In December 2023, the UN Security Council approved a phased withdrawal plan. The strategy aimed to gradually transfer security responsibilities to Congolese forces while preventing a sudden collapse. By January 2024, MONUSCO began withdrawing from South Kivu, completing the process by June. Military equipment valued at approximately ten million dollars was handed over to Congolese security forces, signaling the end of an era.
However, the withdrawal created unintended consequences. Armed Mai-Mai groups quickly exploited the power vacuum left behind. Violence escalated, particularly against civilians, and regions such as Minembwe became increasingly isolated. Armed groups blocked access to markets, schools, and health facilities, deepening humanitarian suffering and raising concerns that the exit had been poorly timed.
Beyond operational failures, MONUSCO’s reputation suffered severe damage due to repeated scandals. Several peacekeepers were accused of sexually exploiting vulnerable Congolese women and girls. One survivor, Esther Mwamini, described entering a sexual relationship with a MONUSCO soldier at the age of fifteen in exchange for money. Such testimonies fueled outrage and reinforced perceptions of impunity within the mission.
In October 2023, nine South African peacekeepers were arrested and later dismissed for sexual misconduct and related crimes. These incidents further eroded public trust and intensified resentment toward the UN presence. For many Congolese, the mission that was meant to protect civilians had instead become associated with abuse and exploitation.
As regional tensions increased, MONUSCO found itself entangled in complex alliances involving the Congolese government, SADC forces, and local armed groups such as Wazalendo, as well as controversial actors like the FDLR. Although the UN repeatedly emphasized political solutions, MONUSCO provided logistical support that indirectly facilitated combat operations. This raised serious questions about neutrality and blurred the line between peacekeeping and active conflict involvement.
The mission’s most damaging symbolic setback came in January 2025, when M23 fighters captured Goma, the strategic capital of North Kivu. Despite efforts by the Force Intervention Brigade, MONUSCO troops were overwhelmed and forced to retreat to their bases. The fall of Goma shattered remaining confidence in the mission’s ability to defend key urban centers.
Bintou Keita later acknowledged that MONUSCO had been surrounded and unable to secure critical infrastructure, including Goma’s airport. The admission reinforced perceptions that the mission had lost strategic control of the situation on the ground.
Before retiring, Keita defended MONUSCO’s record, emphasizing that the mission had saved countless civilian lives and played a vital logistical role during the 2023 national elections. MONUSCO transported more than 250 tons of electoral materials across the country, enabling voting in remote areas. Yet even she conceded that these achievements could not outweigh the ongoing suffering in North and South Kivu.
Today, MONUSCO’s legacy in eastern DRC remains deeply contested. Supporters argue that without the mission, civilian casualties would have been far higher. Critics counter that its prolonged presence fostered dependency while failing to deliver sustainable peace. As armed conflict, displacement, and political uncertainty continue to shape eastern Congo, the question of who will fill the security vacuum remains unanswered.
What is clear is that MONUSCO’s departure marks not an end, but a transition into an uncertain future one where the Congolese people continue to pay the highest price for unresolved conflict.
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