DRC: resigned reactions to the impotence of the UN and diplomacy against M23
MONUSCO peacekeepers deployed in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, March 29, 2022. REUTERS - DJAFFAR SABITI
Text by: RFI Follow
2 mins
The words of Antonio Guterres provoked strong reactions in the DRC.
The UN Secretary General said that MONUSCO blue helmets are not capable of beating M23 fighters.
In Kinshasa, political actors, activists and experts have reacted and note a kind of impotence of the UN, in addition to the weaknesses of the Congolese army on the ground.
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With our correspondent in Kinshasa,
Patient Ligodi
“
The fact is that the United Nations is not capable of beating the M23.
The truth is that the M23 today is a modern army, with heavy equipment which is more advanced than the equipment of MONUSCO
,”
the UN secretary general
told France 24 and RFI
on Sunday. September 18.
Those around Congolese President
Félix Tshisekedi
said they were disappointed but not surprised, given that these remarks have already been made by UN leaders in bilateral meetings between the UN and the Congolese authorities.
For his part, MP Claudel André Lubaya believes that this is an illustration of the failure of Congolese diplomacy:
“
The world tour obviously didn't produce much.
The government is solely responsible for this situation, since it has never deigned to reveal to the nation the content and contours of the economic and security agreements that it concluded in complete opacity with our Rwandan and Ugandan neighbours.
»
Claudel André Lubaya advocates the strengthening of the Congolese army to deal with this situation.
For his part, Pierre Boisselet, researcher at the Congo Study Group (GEC), notes that Félix Tshisekedi's room for maneuver is quite narrow today.
This is, from his point of view, the other lesson to be learned from this media release by Antonio Guterres:
“
The international community does not seem to be putting very strong pressure on Kigali.
She seems quite divided.
We do not see a really strong initiative on that side.
»
Pierre Boisselet believes that the talks advocated by Antonio Guterres are likely to encounter significant obstacles, given the context: "
The idea of negotiations with the M23 or Rwanda also seems to me quite blocked, because it is a fairly unpopular in the DRC.
It will be more and more difficult, as the elections approach.
»
Meanwhile, Félix Tshisekedi is taking advantage of his stay in New York, where the
77th General Assembly of the United Nations
opens on Tuesday, September 20 , to try to convince the Western powers to put more pressure on Rwanda.
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Felix Tshisekedi
UN
Antonio Guterres