BS: DR Congo - UN Role??

Subject: BS: DR Congo - UN Role??
From: Teribus
Date: 21 May 03 - 05:19 AM

A question:

For those who were so critical of US and UK action over Iraq and who were so vocal in their regard for the United Nations. The current situation in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo appears to be degenerating into a second Rwanda for the United Nations. What does this forum believe the UN Security Council will do to save life and stabilise the situation?

Subject: RE: BS: DR Congo - UN Role??
From: Ringer
Date: 21 May 03 - 07:38 AM

I believe it will do nothing. As a talking-shop it excels; unfortunately as an executive power it is impotent.

Subject: RE: BS: DR Congo - UN Role??
From: stevetheORC
Date: 21 May 03 - 01:46 PM

It will Huff and It will Puff and blow a lot of hot air until it reaches critical Mass then it will call upon the member states to do something. Are there not allready a contingent of South American UN troops already there?

Orc

Subject: RE: BS: DR Congo - UN Role??
From: GUEST
Date: 21 May 03 - 01:48 PM

well not sure about the un...but the us will do nothing save send a token soldier or two....now if it were in the middle east...that's different...oil is king.

Subject: RE: BS: DR Congo - UN Role??
From: DougR
Date: 21 May 03 - 04:26 PM

The UN will do nothing (as usual).

DougR

Subject: RE: BS: DR Congo - UN Role??
From: Teribus
Date: 22 May 03 - 04:03 AM

So far armed contingents of the armies of six African countries have been assisting various tribal groups in fighting each other and against the DRC government. They have come to some agreement about leaving but when they leave the level of internal fighting increases as the DRC Army does not move in.

Don't know about oil being king in such circumstances - gold seems to have been the prime attraction for the Ugandan Army.

So far very little activity around the corridors of the UN - they have a contingent of 700 peace-keepers from Uraguay, at present surrounded and holed up in a compound in the east of the country trying their best to protect over 5000 civilian refugees. The French are beginning to show interest - but they did that in Rwanda as well.

Kofi Annan should be well aware of all the warning signs - he was the UN's Special Representative responsible for Rwanda when that debacle occurred.

Subject: RE: BS: DR Congo - UN Role??
From: Bagpuss
Date: 22 May 03 - 05:52 AM

The UN has asked Britain to send a peacekeeping force, and the EU is currently considering sending one too. I'm not sure how effective it will be though as in these sorts of situations are very difficult to manage, and it is easy to begin taking sides and you end up with some of the terrible situations that occurred in Somalia and Bosnia. Is it better than doing nothing? I don't know, but certainly we should at least try to make a difference. I suppose it will come down to how well it is run, and whether it is even *possible* to make a difference when things seem to have descended to this level of chaos.

Bagpuss

Subject: RE: BS: DR Congo - UN Role??
From: Bagpuss
Date: 22 May 03 - 06:07 AM

Here's a page with links to past and recent articles for the Guardian on the Congo situation for those who would like to learn more.

Guardian articles